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2002 (c) Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc

 

Fire station to stay after all

 

The Killcare Rural Fire Brigade station on Stanley St will be upgraded, following a decision by Gosford Council not to build a new station in Maitland Bay Dr.

Redevelopment of the existing station will cost between $223,000 and $254,000, with a grant of $106,000 coming from the Rural Fire Fighting Fund.

The rest of the cost will come from the council's General Fund.

The council's strategy and policy forum considered the proposed move after an officers' report recommended against it in December and a "stakeholders' meeting" was held late in January.

The stakeholders' meeting unanimously supported the retention of the fire station at its current Stanley St site.

It had been proposed that the existing fire station be sold, with the proceeds being used to build a new station which would incorporate toilets and change facilities for an adjacent recreation area at a site in Maitland Bay Dr

The officers' report stated that the move was impractical, would be expensive and would take too long and funds were not available for it.

The incorporation of public change facilities and toilets in the fire station building was considered to be incompatible with the needs of the fire brigade.

Future road realignment could also prejudice the concept.

Money was not available from the Council's recreation budget to fund a feasibility study as the Council had previously requested.

The cost of developing playing fields could be as high as $1.9 million.

The fire station project had already taken more than three years and Rural Fire Service funding was at risk if the money was not spent this year.

The council decided that the brigade would remain at its current site.

A further report would be brought back to the council following geotechnical investigation of the current site.

The Maitland Bay Dr site would be earmarked for recreational purposes, with $10,000 identified in the Capital Works Program being "made available to develop the area".

The concept of developing a child care centre on a small portion of the Maitland Bay Dr site would be pursued, as would the need for a skateboard facility at MacMasters Beach, the council decided.

Council agenda SF.002, February 5