Rodney Stevens

Disaster responses in the region will be streamlined and managed from a new $13.569 million Emergency Operations Centre, co-located with a new Fire Control centre at the Clarence Valley Regional Airport, with council currently assessing a development application for the facility.

The NSW Government announced $8.9 million in funding toward the project in February as part of a $75.1 million investment to upgrade 13 fire control and emergency operations centres across the state.

The DA 2023/0627 for 419 Airport Road, Glenugie, on land owned by Clarence Valley Council proposes construction of a NSW Rural Fire Service Fire Control Centre within the airport precinct, 11 south-east of Grafton.

The Emergency Operations Centre will be located north of the current airport terminal and feature an operations room, a planning and logistics room, two training rooms, meeting rooms, general offices, IT room, storage rooms, meal room, outdoor undercover area, bathrooms and amenities, and be fronted by 12 undercover parking spaces.

North of the single storey Emergency Operations Centre, which features 75 rooftop solar panels, will be a regional Rural Fire Service stores building designed to house equipment for the Clarence Valley District and vehicles, if approved by council.

Surrounding the Emergency Operations Centre will be new adjoining sheds, a helipad, internal roads and parking, with the site having a footprint of 6,100 square metres.

In addition to the administration, training, and operations centre spaces of the Rural Fire Control Centre, the facility “will also be able to function as an emergency operations centre for State Government Agencies and Local Government to assist in managing bush-fire support and recovery functions.”

Council welcomes community submissions about the DA, which are considered public documents and are not confidential.

Make a submission before 4pm on December 4 at https://www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/Building-and-planning/Advertised-DAs/DA20230627-419-Airport-Road-Glenugie