Liverpool Plains mayor slams Qurindi, Werris Creek fire station closure plan

In fact, the Councillor had not even heard of the proposal before he was contacted for comment by the Leader.

Cr Hawkins said he'd worked hard to improve, or at least retain local services, and the plan by Fire and Rescue NSW was a step in the wrong direction.

"If there was a house in one of the villages that caught fire they'd be gone before the Tamworth brigade could even get here, it'd be physically impossible for them to get here," he said.

"My shire are going to be put at a disadvantage. If there's a house in Werris Creek or a house in Quirindi on fire, what do we do just stand back and hold our hands and wait for the brigade to arrive? A fire station in the shire is crucial."

READ MORE:

The Fire Brigade Employees' Union (FBEU) plans to contest the plan in court next week.

Acting secretary Martin Dixon said they will still resist the plan even if they lose, and called on the community to put public pressure on the government to back down.

The new rule would apply to stations that are temporarily short of part-time staff due to sickness or unavailability, including Werris Creek and Quirindi, both in the Liverpool Plains Shire.

Under current rules, any staffing gap at a station would be filled by staff from neighbouring stations working overtime, guaranteeing continuous service. Fire and Rescue NSW plans to allow the station to instead be closed while the staffing shortage persists.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said he would be deeply concerned if a community was to be left without fire cover for a period of time.

He said the practice of backfilling staff worked well and should continue.

"Fire and Rescue they talk about response in minutes, and needing to respond quickly. I think that should still be at the top of the emergency services response," he said.

Mr Anderson said he needed to talk to local firefighters before potentially going to Emergency Services Minister David Elliott on the issue.

"I've just been given some information, so I'll go through that and continue to talk with those that I need to, to get a greater understanding of how that's going to work locally," he said.

Cr Hawkins said he would lobby Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson, who will soon represent the area, and David Layzell, whose electorate currently coverers Quirindi.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: