THE location of a $4M NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters now hangs in the balance after Cootamundra Shire Council ignored a recommendation from two committees that it be based in Young.
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In a shock move, the council last week opposed the construction of the South West Slopes Rural Fire Service headquarters near Young despite Cootamundra’s general manager initially endorsing the recommendation.
The general manager, Ken Trethewey, is a member of the South West Slopes Fire Control Centre Working Group formed in 2012 to address concerns about deficiencies at the existing Harden-based fire control centre.
The group comprises mayors and general managers from each of the South West Zone shires - Young, Harden, Boorowa and Cootamundra and NSW RFS group captains plus district and regional managers.
Their purpose was to provide an infrastructure plan which included an investigation and analysis into the construction of the new facility which would house both the fire control centre and the regional office, currently located in Young.
Two engineering consultant reports and an extensive independent investigation later, the group in June 2015 adopted the recommendation the fire control centre be constructed on the site of a former plum orchard on the Wombat Road, a recommendation further endorsed by the South West Slopes Zone Liaison Committee which includes RFS captains.
The recommendation was to go before all four shire councils for ratification.
So far Cootamundra has opposed it, and Harden, Young and Boorowa are still to vote.
Cootamundra’s stated reason for supporting the Harden location was based on a site comparison that indicated the Young site would be more likely to have ongoing negative issues as a result of its location than the Harden site.
The preferred location at Harden is at the front of the racecourse on Burley Griffin Way.
Young’s general manager Peter Vlatko said he wasn’t expecting Harden to endorse the recommendation.
Mr Vlatko confirmed if the four council’s preferences resulted in a hung vote, the decision would be made by RFS state headquarters.