Record Budget for Queensland Fire and Rescue Service

The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) has been allocated a record $360.1 million as part of the 2007-08 State Budget.

Emergency Services Minister Pat Purcell said the QFRS budget, which has increased by $36.1 million, would ensure that communities remain safe and secure through frontline operational service delivery and on-going community education.

“Firefighters respond to a wide range of emergency situations daily, from fires, to chemical threats, to motor vehicle accidents,” Mr Purcell said. “This budget will ensure the Service is suitably equipped to respond to whatever threat is facing the community.

“The QFRS has been allocated $43.6 million to upgrade and improve firefighting facilities and operational equipment, along with other fire communication facilities across the State,” Mr Purcell said.

“This Budget includes $14.3 million for 22 new urban fire appliances and 10 support vehicles as part of the statewide urban vehicle replacement/upgrade program, and $3.9 million for 36 rural appliances and five trailers as part of the rural appliance modernisation program.”

Mr Purcell said more than $12.3 million will be spent in 2007-08 on the construction, redevelopment and refurbishment of fire stations, including $2.3 million to commence construction of a new fire station at Burpengary, north of Brisbane and replacement stations at Alexandra Hills and Redland Bay.

“The fire stations at Malanda and Yungaburra (Far Northern region), Tin Can Bay (North Coast region), Lowood (South Eastern region), Goondiwindi, Highfields and Bollon (South Western region) will also be replaced at a cost of $3.3 million in 2007-08.”

Eatons Hill, Southport, Hollywell and Toowoomba (Kitchener Street) fire stations will also be redeveloped.

“On top of this, the expansion of the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy (QCESA) at Whyte Island at a cost of $22.3 million will provide a world class live fire and practical scenario village to strengthen QFRS service delivery,” Mr Purcell said.

Mr Purcell said the upgrade in QFRS communications will continue, with the roll out of the new Emergency Services Computer Aided Dispatch system to all FireCom Centres which will provide essential statewide dispatch and strategic management of fire resources.

“The department will also continue to train emergency services for a response to a terrorist attack with funding of $4.7 million in 2007-08 ($13.4 million over five years) to enhance capacity and capability to respond to chemical, biological and radiological incendiary explosives incidents across Queensland,” he said.

“This Budget will continue to strengthen operational service delivery to address growth in demand, maintain emergency response times and improve services to rural and remote communities.”

This year’s Department of Emergency Services Budget also includes $41.7 million (as part of a $70.4 million allocation over two years) for the construction of the Queensland Emergency Operations Centre, incorporating a state-of-the-art communications and emergency disaster coordination centre to replace the existing fire and ambulance triple zero communications facilities in Brisbane and South East Region.

Media contact: Tim Shipstone 07 3247 8194, 0409 620 571.

Brendan Connell 07 3247 8992, 0437 837 976