The sticking point is a plan to complete roadworks to enable fire trucks to drive straight out from the station onto Thomas Mitchell Drive, rather than negotiate the service road in place outside the block of land.

Wodonga Council staff requested extra information, which was recently submitted and still being considered.

CFA district 24 operations officer Brett Myers said he understood the council had queries, especially because the road had already undergone safety upgrades in the past two years.

“The quicker we can get to an emergency the better, so we thought we’d go straight over to the main road,” he said.

“If it was your house on fire, you’d want the fire truck there as soon as possible … That could be the difference between someone living and someone dying.”

The CFA, not the council, would bear the cost of altering the road.

Mr Myers said if plans were approved and tenders awarded without delay, construction could begin in November and firefighters could move into the new station by July 2018.

He said proposed changes to the CFA structure had no bearings on the design of the integrated station, which was set to be home to both volunteers and paid staff working for Fire Rescue Victoria.

A planning application was submitted with the council in June and included five vehicle bays, offices, workshop, storage area, meeting rooms, kitchen, meals area, gym and sleeping quarters.

The proposed new station had already formed part of the CFA’s 2017-18 plan, released this week, including the detail to “commence construction of stations at Wodonga, Lucas (formerly Ballarat West) and Tarneit”.

“The asset plan will be reviewed throughout 2017-18 as the government’s proposed fire services reforms progress,” the plan stated.

CFA chief executive Frances Diver said it took into account the “significant funding commitment” made by the Victorian government, which included a $44 million fund to buy trucks and upgrade stations.

“Over the course of the next 12 months, CFA will undertake a range of important work to improve our organisation and build a contemporary agency that is inclusive, resilient and ready for the future,” she said.