Biloela’s new multi-purpose SES facility officially opened

A $409,000 state-of-the-art facility at the old Railway Reserve and Station in Biloela will considerably increase capacity for the Biloela SES and Banana Shire.

Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher, representing Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford, opened the new facility in Biloela today (Wednesday).

Mr Butcher said the building, with $300,000 funding from the Works for Queensland Program, had been renovated into a multi-purpose facility.

“The old station has been refurbished and built using funds from the Works for Queensland program and administered and delivered by the Banana Shire Council,” Mr Butcher said.

“It has been designed as a multipurpose facility which incorporates a specific communications room, an office, kitchenette and training room.

“There is also a three-bay shed for vehicles, boats and equipment storage.

“This facility has been built with the community’s future needs in mind and will serve the Banana Shire well into the future.

“The Banana Shire has a busy SES Unit with 36 active volunteers across six groups including Baralaba, Biloela, Moura, Taroom, Theodore and Wowan.

“Between July last year and February this year the unit volunteered 305 hours in operational work and 1960 hours in training, administration, group exercises, courses, public education, recruitment, fundraising and equipment maintenance.

“I congratulate the Biloela Shire Council on its foresight in prioritising the SES facility among its Works for Queensland projects,” he said.

Mr Crawford said Works for Queensland is a $200 million Queensland Government program to bolster jobs growth in regional Queensland and operated in partnership with local government.

He said the government allocated $1.73 million to the Banana Shire who are undertaking nine projects.

ENDS

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