In an announcement jointly made by the Federal Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese Labor and NSW Labor leader, Chris Minns, the Eurobodalla region has been given a commitment of $25 million to an Emergency Operations Precinct in Moruya that will include a much needed Emergency Operations Centre.
Reviews into the tragic 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires have shown a purpose-built emergency services precinct is needed. A single, purpose-built operations centre will help local emergency services personnel plan for and respond to disasters more efficiently, potentially saving lives and properties across the region.
Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips said, “For more than eight years the message from local residents, Eurobodalla Shire Council, emergency services workers and volunteers has been, whilst much loved, the Moruya RSL Hall is not fit for purpose as an emergency management centre. Labor’s commitment will ensure that locals are better protected from the natural disasters we know are coming.”
"This critical piece of infrastructure aligns with recommendations from the Commonwealth Royal Commission, and the NSW Bushfire Inquiry and will save lives during the next disaster that we all know is coming."
Touring the current Operations Centre in Moruya today were Anthony Albanese MP, Leader Of The Australian Labor Party, Chris Minns, Leader Of The New South Wales Labor Party, Fiona Phillips MP, Member For Gilmore and Kristy McBain MP Member For Eden-Monaro.
Joining them also were Senator Murray Watt, Shadow Minister For Disaster And Emergency Management
Above: a tour of the current facilities that once had 68 personnel in attendance during the fires felt very claustrophobic with just the 20 or so media that accompanied the tour of the Cambell Street Operations rooms. While the earlier announcement of $15 million made by the NSW Government saw to meet the needs of the RFS the funding fell short in meeting the continued request for the Government to consider a precinct that accommodated and provided a centre of excellence for emergency management With the $25 million that has been committed based on current costings the proposed Regional Co-located Emergency Services Precinct will have state of the art technology, facilities and support systems. Of primary importance will be that the precinct will house the following stakeholders along with a central Emergency Operations Centre and training facilities:
· NSW RFS (state planning office, regional office, local office and Moruya station, Incident Management Centre)
· NSW Fire and Rescue (area office, zone office and Moruya station)
· NSW SES (Moruya station, training facilities and office)
· NSW Ambulance (Moruya station and office)
· Emergency Operations Centre The Precinct pays respect to the fact that the current NSW Fire and Rescue premises require expansion, as does the NSW Ambulance Station. To "do it once and to do it right" both Federal Labor and State Labor are committing $5 million each to fill the $10 million gap currently remaining toward current costings for the Emergency Operations Centre. Honouring the commitment of $15 million recently made from NSW Emergency Disaster funds the budget of $25 million will see the precinct come to fruition. Presently there is no specific site identified and as such detailed designs and estimates are unable to be prepared.
The preliminary figures are:
· Site analysis $200,000
· Land acquisition $2M
· RFS establishment $17.5M
· Emergency Operations Centre $1.5M
· NSW F & R establishment $5-7M
· SES establishment $2-3M.
VIDEO: Announcement of $25 million to fund an Emergency Operations Precinct in Moruya
January 27th, 2022
