16/6/95
After more than a century, a registered volunteer fire station has finally been built on Rottnest Island.
Emergency Services Minister Bob Wiese said the new $90,000 facility was an important safety measure for the popular holiday destination which caters for up to 400,000 visitors each year.
Mr Wiese said with such a large volume of people frequenting Rottnest, it was essential to have an emergency response unit which was able to deal quickly with wide-ranging problems occurring with light planes, boats, and bushfires in wildlife reserves.
"Even though it appears nearby on the horizon, Rottnest is still isolated when an emergency is happening," he said.
"Time is of the essence and when lives are at risk, or there is a major threat to the fragile conservation reserves, the islanders cannot rely on assistance from the mainland.
"The creation of this new fire station will provide an effective control centre to handle any emergency immediately and efficiently."
Mr Wiese said the volunteer unit on Rottnest was manned by 34 local residents who faced a big responsibility to safeguard the island.
"The island's relative isolation emphasises the need for volunteers to be well trained, well equipped and fully committed," he said.
"The volunteers dedication to help build their new complex is testimony to taking this duty and commitment seriously."
The Minister said the Bush Fires Board and the Cockburn City Council had both played key roles in bringing the project to fruition.
The BFB were involved in identifying infrastructure, equipment and the development of a five year training plan for personnel while the City of Cockburn took responsibility for funding the Rottnest volunteer unit.
Media contact: Mark Thompson 222 9595 / 322 2311
