Atherton Fire Station house to be removed

A former firefighter residence at the centre of a cancer cluster investigation at Atherton Fire Station, in far north Queensland, will be removed.

Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said despite extensive environmental testing not finding conclusive evidence of a link at the station or the accompanying housing quarters, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service management have decided to remove the house from the site.

“The house at Atherton Fire Station was built in 1959 but has not been used in the last seven years,” Mr Roberts said.

“This is an important step forward for the staff at Atherton, who have continued to provide a first-class service to the people of the region despite the obvious concerns surrounding the Atherton Fire Station investigation.”

“QFRS is currently in the process of analysing quotes for the works, and will announce a timeline as soon as a decision has been made.”

Mr Roberts said the space created by the removal of the house would be put to good use.

“Once removed, the area on which the house sits will be concreted,” Mr Roberts said.

“It will then be used for training operations, equipment testing and a range of vehicle access needs.”

“The crew at Atherton have faced tragic circumstances throughout the investigations. This is a positive outcome that will have a direct impact on service delivery to the people of Atherton.”

Mr Roberts said since the investigation was announced in December, the Queensland Health epidemiological report and ensuing environmental testing failed to uncover any links to cancer-causing agents at the site.

“The Queensland Government will continue to act on the recommendations of the Queensland Health report, including cross-checking the State’s cancer registry with firefighter staffing records, and progressing plans for a nationwide study into the incidence of cancer among firefighters.”

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