Federal and State Labor combine to promise $25 million for new Moruya emergency operations centre

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese and NSW Labor leader Chris Minns announced a combined $25 million investment into a new emergency operations centre in Moruya.

The announcement was made during a visit to the existing RFS station in Campbell Street, Moruya on January 27.

NSW Labor pledged to commit $20 million to the project, while Mr Albanese committed a further $5 million from Federal Labor.

The announcement follows the NSW Government committing $15 million to a new Moruya Emergency Operations Centre and Fire Control Centre on January 25.

The state government pledged to replace the fire control centre and co-locate emergency operations in one hub.

Mr Minns said the commitment by Labor extends upon that of the NSW Government.

"We acknowledge the NSW Government's pledge last week," he said; "but we believe this should be a precinct that includes the RFS Fire and Rescue NSW, the SES and the leadership from police and also telecommunications."

Mr Minns said the proposed facility was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission and the Commission of Inquiry into the bushfires in NSW.

The facility proposed by Labor would include House Planning and Environmental Services, area command, two mitigation crews and area command equipment storage, according to RFS District Manager Angus Barnes.

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"The RFS help the SES if there's flooding, and they help us during the fires," Mr Barnes said. "We are currently in different facilities. It's a lot easier if you're all in the same place to share information and make arrangements about response. [This promised facility] will speed up the process."

"We welcome the fact that a couple of days ago there was an announcement, but it wasn't enough - it wasn't enough to do what is necessary," Mr Albanese said.

"We need to learn lessons during crisis. The lesson here is we need an emergency services precinct right here in Moruya.

"We need to co-locate the emergency services functions in one location where they have facilities so the people aren't putting up with the crowded facility [at Moruya].

"In this community, we need to do it once and do it right."

However, at Tuesday's announcement by the NSW government, RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said, regarding the $15 million allocation, "the dollars that have been asked for and allocated have been from RFS. We are the ones that have said 'this is how much money we need to do this site'".

"$15 million is the amount identified by the RFS to develop a co-located Fire Control Centre and Emergency Operations Centre at Moruya," Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke said in response to the Labor announcement. "This is the amount the RFS needs and we listened to them."

Ms Cooke made the announcement on behalf of the NSW Government on January 25.

While the RFS didn't ask for this increased funding allocation, it was welcomed by Mr Barnes.

"If the money is used to create an emergency operations centre co-locating all disaster emergency facilities, and it's done without being paid for by rate payers of the Eurobodalla, it is great news," he said.

Mr Barnes was unable to comment on if the funds allocated by Labor could be better spent elsewhere by the RFS.

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Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips welcomed the announcement, after she said she had been "campaigning hard to make sure we get a full Emergency Services Management Center, located right here in Moruya".

"There is no one person in this community or right along the south coast and far south coast that wasn't impacted by the bushfires," Ms Phillips said.

"When I heard there was no Emergency Operation Center and no co-located, emergency precinct, I knew... we need better power, we need better communicators - we had to get this center up and running.

"People tell me they want to feel safer. That means better communications.

"This precinct will be critical in providing support to emergency services and the community the next time natural disasters strike," Dr Holland, NSW Labor candidate for Bega said.

"[This facility] is one of the first things that Dr. Michael Holland told me that this community needs when we spoke about him running for Labor in the upcoming by-election," Mr Minns said.