BUNBURY will be home to a state-of-the-art State Emergency Service Headquarters and Incident Control Centre after Bunbury City Council finalised a funding arrangement with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services last night.
The facility, to be built on Robertson Drive opposite Bunbury Cemetery, will replace the aged building currently in use at the Nuytsia Avenue site and provide the city with a purpose-built emergency centre that will be home to the local SES unit and emergency control centre.
The headquarters has been funded as part of the DFES Local Government Grant Scheme and a funding shortfall in construction costs will also be covered by DFES.
The initial cost to the build the facility was $1.1 million, however, a further $325,000 was required to cover variations to the tender, which was awarded to Smith Constructions.
As part of that additional funding, DFES are also contributing towards the fit-out of the building.
The building will be owned by the City and ongoing maintenance will be covered by the Emergency Services Levy provided by DFES.
Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said the facility would play an integral part in keeping the community safe during times of need.
“The current SES headquarters is well past its use-by date and this new facility will give our emergency services a purpose-built base from which to conduct their important and often life-saving work,” Mr Brennan said.
“The City is pleased to work so closely with DFES to make this facility a reality as soon as possible.”
Construction of the new headquarters is expected to begin in the near future and take around 26 weeks to complete.
Council will determine the future of the current SES building in conjunction with plans for the City’s works depot, which it shares with the Nuytsia Avenue site.