The Bega Valley Shire Council will be seeking assurances from the government that resources will not be lost to the Eurobodalla under commitments made this week for multi-million dollar emergency operation facilities.
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The NSW Liberal government on Tuesday announced $15million for a new Emergency Operations Centre and Fire Control Centre Hub for Moruya.
The new Moruya hub will host over 60 RFS staff, and "consolidate the presence of emergency services" according to RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers.
It was followed two days later by a combined federal and state Labor pledge of $25million for a Moruya emergency operations hub.
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.
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."
It's understood both pledges include a funding component to go towards the purchase of a suitable site.
Both announcements came as "a surprise" for BVSC, which already has a functioning Fire Control Centre in Bega and has been working with the Rural Fire Service (RFS) for the past two years on securing land for a new FCC adjacent to the Bega Saleyards and Princes Hwy.
It is important any investment in Eurobodalla is not to the detriment of the Bega Valley
- Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick
Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick said the council "have very real concerns for what this announcement means for the Bega Valley" and would now seek answers from the government.
"We are concerned the decision may mean a shift of resources out of Bega Valley and into Eurobodalla and will look for a commitment from the government to retain the current RFS numbers employed in the Bega Valley, retain our functioning Fire Control Centre and invest in the new centre we have been working towards with the RFS," Cr Fitzpatrick said.
"We observed during the Black Summer bushfires, when the RFS tried to manage the bushfires in the Bega Valley remotely from Eurobodalla it was not a success, with clear communication breakdowns.
"It is important any investment in Eurobodalla is not to the detriment of the Bega Valley."
Both the Liberal and Labor announcements this week came from party leaders and ministerial heavyweights, accompanied by their respective candidates for the Bega state by-election on February 12
Cr Fitzpatrick said he was calling on the NSW government and all candidates in the upcoming by-election "to commit to retaining the existing levels of RFS staff and an operational Fire Control Centre and to invest in the new Fire Control Centre we have been working towards for over two years".
"We have a site and we have a tenure deed sitting with the RFS," he said.