THE Country Fire Authority's $4 million replacement Wodonga station on Thomas Mitchell Drive is proceeding despite the split in the state's fire-fighting ranks.
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A planning application for the station to be built next door to North-East Water's recently created headquarters is presently being assessed by Wodonga Council.
CFA chief officer Steve Warrington visited Wodonga last week, but stopped short of being able to say how the station would operate once built. It will replace the existing Stanley Street station built in 1974.
The key features of the 24-hour integrated station include five vehicle bays, offices, workshop, storage area, meeting rooms, kitchen, meals area, gym and sleeping quarters.
The planning application by James Golsworthy Consulting on behalf of the CFA states the new station will service the city's fire protection needs "well into the future".
"Since the construction of the existing station, Wodonga and the surrounding areas have continued to develop, with significant increases in dwellings, retail shops, commercial buildings, institutional premises and light industrial properties," the application states.
"These factors have imposed additional operational demands and challenges on the current brigade location.
"The site is ideally located to respond to calls from not only structural fires within the community of Wodonga but also the other major commercial facilities in the Wodonga district."
The major station building will be 1383 square metres and will accommodate one heavy pumper, two pumper tankers, one hazmat vehicle and a field command support vehicle.
A total of 44 car parks have been allocated on the site and will be accessible from the existing service road.
Emergency vehicles will have direct access to Thomas Mitchell Drive with the creation of a 25-metre crossover.
"The emergency egress direct to Thomas Mitchell Drive rather than the service road is an important element to the project in meeting the response times of the CFA," the application states.
"Significant effort has been made to ensure the arrangement is safe and the CFA have had experiences in relation to similar arrangements."
It will require removal of some trees and relocation of a bus stop.
Approval by the council or staff under delegated authority will depend on community feedback.
