A COMMUNITY meeting has been planned to discuss the establishment of an independent Beveridge Fire Brigade to service the growing community.
Beveridge is currently serviced by Kalkallo Fire Brigade, which has established a satellite station at Beveridge to tackle incidents within the township through the work of Kalkallo volunteers.
The proposal would mean that Beveridge has its own brigade, able to be staffed by a more permanent force leading to reduced response times to local incidents.
CFA District 12 assistant chief fire officer Charles Cleary said the proposal had been in the works for several years.
“We’ve been trying to line up the appropriate ducks, so to speak, to create Beveridge as a standalone fire brigade instead of a satellite fire station of the Kalkallo Fire Brigade, because we’re aware that there’s substantial developing population growth within the area,” he said.
“We’ve been working to try to improve the service delivery in that area to be prepared and match the growth that will occur.”
The current satellite station is populated with ‘rudimentary facilities’, made up of a portable office with a shed that houses a fire truck.
As Kalkallo is situated across the Hume, Whittlesea and Mitchell municipalities, the current service in Beveridge is managed under the District 14 headquarters in Melton, as it is an extension of the fire brigade further south.
The establishment of a Beveridge Fire Brigade would be more closely aligned with the Mitchell Shire, and by extension, fall under the jurisdiction of the District 12 headquarters in Seymour.
Mr Cleary said there was already work underway in Beveridge to improve the facilities at the satellite station, upgrading them to be able to provide a more permanent service.
“We’re building on the facilities there with some more permanent-type facilities, so we’re actually building some dedicated meeting facilities and support infrastructure to support the current fire appliance there,” he said.
“It’s all to cater for any development or expansion of resources into the future.”
The community meeting to discuss the brigade is planned for 7pm on November 10 at the Greater Beveridge Community Centre, located at the corner of Lithgow Street and Mandalay Circuit.
