The Rural Fire Service (RFS) will be able to respond to fires with more ease and increase its membership if a base can be established near Gunnedah airport, Gunnible brigade's captain says.
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On Wednesday, Gunnedah's councillors will vote on whether Gunnedah Shire Council should allocate land to enable the RFS to build a station for the Gunnible brigade.
Gunnible captain Ken Moore said the land in Wean Road Reserve was ideal for the station because it's close to Wean Road, Kelvin Road and Blue Vale Road and gives quick access to the Kamilaroi Highway, Orange Grove Road and Keepit.
Since the brigade formed about 20 years ago, members have stored the equipment on their own properties and its one of the only brigades without a central facility.
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The brigade has been pushing for a station for more than 10 years, but if the council clears the land use, the proposal can go through the RFS channels.
Mr Moore said if it gets the green light, it will be "the largest fire station in the Gunnedah shire" and enable the brigade to train on-site and build its membership numbers.
"It will provide a meeting place, a training area for our brigade. It will also give us room to train up strike teams to go away to other fires. Once we increase members we'll have enough members to clean up a strike team and go away," he said.
"As a brigade it will allow us to expand, which we're doing now. We've just signed up six new members that have done their basic firefighter training and another six [are ready] to sign-up early in the new year, so that will take our membership to over 30."
Background
The RFS and the council have been in talks about land for some years but attempts to acquire land within the airport grounds were unsuccessful, so in May they started looking at other options.
The newly proposed land is adjacent to the airport and would require the constriction of an access road off the airport entrance, installation of water tanks, connection to essential services, and a car park.
The council says it is easily accessible and will give the RFS room to expand in the future.
