Wallsend state MP Sonia Hornery has made an impassioned plea to the NSW Government to save the Minmi Fire Station.

The local member is asking Emergency Services Minister David Elliott to end a plan by Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) to take the facility offline in the event of a staffing shortage.

As the region heads into another fire season, Ms Hornery believes the move will put the growing communities of Minmi, Fletcher and Black Hill at risk.

“It’s a simple cost cutting exercise that threatens everyone,” she said.

Ms Hornery moved a Notice of Motion in Parliament last week, calling on Mr Elliott to fix critical station understaffing and underfunding to prevent Minmi Fire Station from being taken offline.

“At the moment, fire stations without sufficient safe crewing levels are supplemented by other firefighters at overtime rates, which is necessary to keep our communities safe,” she said.

“However, those shortages can be avoided by rectifying the understaffing and underfunding of the service.

“Taking any fire station offline deprives a local community of a critical emergency response, leaving any response up to fire stations from further away and reducing the number of fire trucks at any incident.

“The population in the Wallsend electorate is growing at a rapid rate every single year.

“That means more people, more houses and more vehicles on the roads.

“The NSW Government should be turning its mind to increasing fire services to serve this increasing population.

“But, instead, they want to shut local fire stations down to save money.

“If there were multiple incidents at the same time within the Minmi Fire Station area or surrounding locations, then one less fire truck in the system means people will be waiting longer for trucks to come from further away.

“In 2021 and in a so-called modern fire service, this is completely unacceptable.”

Ms Hornery said the staff at Minmi deserved the respect of having their crewing, at a safe number of four, at all times.

“That way they can protect their community and do their job,” she stated.

“Residents deserve their fire truck to remain online.

“They pay their taxes, they pay their Emergency Services Levy through their insurances and their rate notices, and to deprive them of their fire protection despite that would be an insult.

“I’m calling on the Minister to urgently intervene to prevent Fire & Rescue NSW from taking Minmi Fire Station offline.”

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