From tin shed to state-of-the-art station

From its humble beginnings in a tin shed in 1959, the Carlsruhe Fire Brigade has welcomed a new $1.1million station.

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas joined Country Fire Authority (CFA) officials today to formally open the new station at Cobb and Co Road.

The new station is funded by the Andrews Labor Government’s $43 million budget commitment to upgrade and build new CFA, Victoria State Emergency Service and Life Saving Victoria facilities as part of the Emergency Services High Priority Infrastructure Program.

The station includes three motor room bays with work benches, storage, and communications facilities. Male and female turn-out rooms and toilets, as well as an accessible unisex toilet also ensures greater accessibility for the brigade’s 50 dedicated members and visitors.

A breathing apparatus store that opens directly onto the motor room will allow this equipment to be quickly loaded onto trucks and later cleaned. Other key features include additional storage, a brigade office, multipurpose room and onsite carparking and a separate truck turning area to improve reverse manoeuvring into the motor room.

The new station will ensure the Carlsruhe brigade can continue to respond to the estimated 100 incidents every year in the area and surrounding communities of Kyneton, Woodend, Pastoria and Newham brigade areas.

Volunteer firefighters from the Carlsruhe brigade have previously provided support to incidents right across the state including Ash Wednesday, the 2009 Victorian Bushfires, Cobaw fires and in Mallacoota during the devastating 2019-20 fires, where the Carlsruhe tanker was one of 17 tankers defending the town as the fire-front moved through on New Year’s Eve.

Quotes attributable to Acting Minister for Police and Emergency Services Danny Pearson
"The Carlsruhe brigade and its volunteers have a proud history of fighting fires and keeping the local and broader Victorian community safe and this new station will ensure this can continue well into the future."

"We’re ensuring our volunteer firefighters have the resources they need to continue their selfless work and keep Victorian communities safe."

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
"Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community and this new station gives volunteers at Carlsruhe Brigade the facilities they deserve."

"This new $1.1 million station represents a significant investment since the brigade’s humble beginnings in 1959 and will ensure it can continue to respond to emergencies now and into the future."