The new Acton Emergency Services Station will house both ACT Ambulance and ACT Fire and Rescue crews. Photo: ESA.
Firefighters and paramedics will soon be located closer to central Canberra, with construction on the new Acton Emergency Services Station now complete.
The $40 million facility is fully electric-powered and is set to become operational in the coming months.
Fire and Emergency Services Minister Dr Marisa Paterson said handover was expected to take four to six weeks.
“We’ll see the station fit-out with vehicles, equipment, supplies and then eventually the staff – our firefighters and paramedics – will move into this amazing facility,” she said.
“This has been a very unique, state-of-the-art build, we’ve got lots of sustainability measures, including a generator to see that the station never loses power and can continue to operate no matter what comes at Canberra.”
The station, on the corner of Parkes Way and Clunies Ross Street, will provide both emergency responses and a place for crews to rest before and after call-outs.
ACT Ambulance Service chief officer David Dutton said initially the station would accommodate one 24/7 emergency ambulance crew.
“As the the city of Canberra grows, as our population grows, as the demand on emergency Triple Zero grows, this really positions us to meet those demands of the future,” he said.
“[This facility] can accommodate up to six stretcher ambulances or six emergency vehicles, so that gives us plenty of capacity to grow.”
The station can also house two fire and rescue crews per shift, which will consist of one crew for the electric pumper and one for the combined aerial and pumping appliance.
Solar panels on the roof are expected to generate 142 MWh of energy each year and there’s charging infrastructure for more electric and hybrid emergency vehicles in the future.
ACT Fire and Rescue acting chief officer Paul Flynn pointed out that the station’s transition area was an important feature.
“There’s presumptive legislation that’s recognised that firefighting is a hazardous occupation and vocation over a long time unless you keep yourselves clean and that’s your clothing, your skin, your hair … that can pose health risks later on,” he said.
“This is the best effort, a state-of-the-art facility that will minimise [those risks] as much as we can … it will make a big difference to the wellbeing and health of our firefighters long-term.”
The station had been expected to be operational by June 2025.
It originally was meant to be operational by the end of 2021. Construction began in August 2023.
Work is continuing on the Casey and Molonglo emergency services facilities.
“Molonglo is tracking on time and on budget and Casey, the design works have started,” Dr Paterson said.
“There was funding in this [recent] budget to support enabling works at the Casey site as well.”
Construction on the $70 million Molonglo emergency services station began in late 2024 and is expected to open mid-2026.
