As you are aware, earlier this year the CFA Board announced the closure of our Fiskville Training College. I’d like to provide you all with an update on the decommissioning and remediation process we are undertaking for the former training campus, as the site is now redundant and will not be used for training purposes in the future.
The responsibility for the decommissioning of the site now rests with the Fiskville Transition Program. In October 2015, this program will transfer to the Infrastructure Services Directorate.
The program is currently developing a business case for the Victorian Government to consider, outlining options for the decommissioning and ongoing remediation of the Fiskville campus. The business case will also include options for environmental remediation works across the six other regional training campuses. This process is due to be completed and presented to the Victorian Government for consideration in December 2015.
CFA has recently appointed a Clerk of Works to oversee the decommissioning activities at the site, and they will work closely with the Fiskville Transition Program to meet the requirements set out under the EPA’s Clean Up Notice. A rehabilitation strategy for the site is currently being implemented, with further actions to be decided over coming months.
Another key consideration for us is the Firefighters’ Memorial. While no decision has been made on its future location or design, I have committed to maintaining a high standard for this memorial, and it will be treated with the utmost respect and sensitivity.
A new memorial will be built at a different location, with discussions continuing on where it should be located and what elements are important to our people. A CFA project team has been engaging with the families and brigades of the 67 firefighters who paid the ultimate sacrifice and are remembered at the memorial. Wider consultation was also open to CFA members across the state through an online survey which closed last Friday 2 October.
Work on a new training campus location in the Moorabool Shire continues, and discussions are continuing to secure the land and resources required to establish a new training campus.
While the closure of the former Fiskville Training College has posed significant challenges for CFA, it has also provided us with the opportunity to align our planning with future-focussed training and asset management strategies, as well as with broader emergency management reforms.
The opening of a new regional training campus will mark the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in CFA’s regional-based training activities.
If you have any questions or require any additional information, you are welcome to contact our Fiskville Hotline on 1800 628 616.
Author: Michael Wootten