Clyde is a step closer to having a brand-new CFA Station, with a planning permit application lodged with the City of Casey.
The State Government has submitted an application for a nearly $3 million planning permit to develop a new Clyde CFA Station at 8 Ballarto Road.
According to the planning application, the proposed site will replace the existing Clyde CFA facility at 17 Railway Road, 144 metres away, which is no longer considered fit for purpose.
The proposed new station is designed for a volunteer brigade of 53 members (33 active operational), with only around 15 volunteers expected on site at any one time.
Volunteer members would only be present on-site during callouts or for meetings, training, and maintenance. There will be no permanent staff or on-site sirens, alarms, or speakers, and visitors generally will attend by appointment only.
The station is proposed to include a three-bay motor room, turnout room, offices, a 20-metre hose drying tower, and a multi-purpose room. A detached four-bay shed at the rear of the main building is also proposed.
About 25 on-site car spaces are proposed.
The site has already been cleared in preparation for development, with a 20-metre front setback incorporated to accommodate the future widening of Ballarto Road.
Two vehicle access points are proposed for the site, which include a double-width crossover at the eastern corner of the Ballarto Road frontage for cars entering and exiting the site, and a larger crossover located centrally along the site frontage for CFA appliances exiting the site.
The application notes the new site’s proximity to the future Clyde Rail extension.
The existing Clyde CFA station, now about 49 years old, has long been described as “tired” and “falling to bits”, including issues of space shortages, termite infestation, and poor OH&S Standards.
It was announced in December 2020 that a new station would be built to replace the outdated facility. The funding aimed to support a modern motor-room layout capable of housing the brigade’s growing fleet and volunteer cohort.
Several potential sites near central Clyde were proposed to improve response times back then.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale said she is thrilled that Clyde CFA is one step closer to their new station becoming a reality.
“The tender award date can vary depending on the quality of submissions and relevant negotiations, so a sod turn could be happening as early as September or as late as December, but looking at before the end of the year,” she said.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Captain Stuart Bluck and his team, who do an extraordinary job protecting, supporting and informing our community and for all the work they have put in to make sure their new station meets their needs today and into the future.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Justice and Community Safety said the Clyde fire station is now in the design and planning stage, and it was important to ensure suitable land was secured for the new station.
“We look forward to this project being delivered for the community, and they will be kept informed of any developments along the way,” they said.
The Clyde Country Fire Authority fire station project was transferred to the Community Safety Building Authority (CSBA) in April 2023.
CSBA expects to release the tender for the construction contract once a development permit from Casey Council is received.
CSBA explored multiple sites and undertook extensive investigations before acquiring suitable land for the new Clyde fire station.
Public submissions on the permit (PA25-0131) are open until 25 July, with documents viewable via the City of Casey’s planning portal which can be accessed at casey.vic.gov.au/view-planning-applications
