A new purpose-built Emergency Services Command Centre will be constructed on Richmond Road in Keswick, boosting South Australia’s command and control capabilities for the CFS, SES and MFS, and strengthening the State’s response to emergency situations.
Axiom Properties LTD will develop the new facility within the World Park precinct, creating approximately 185 jobs during the construction phase, with the headquarters to be fully operational before the fire danger season in 2021.
The new earthquake-resilient centre will feature backup power, water and wastewater storage and technology redundancies.
For the first time in the State’s history the executive and senior management teams of the MFS, CFS, SES and SAFECOM will be co-located in a common headquarters along with more than 300 other employees as well as volunteers.
The CFS State Operations Support brigade will also operate a State Ready Reserve Strike Team from the new site with five heavy tankers and a bulk water carrier on standby and ready for deployment across the State on extreme and catastrophic bushfire days.
Minister for Emergency Services Corey Wingard said this is a major public investment that will further enhance the State’s emergency response capability.
“The Marshall Government has allocated an initial $14 million for this project which is an excellent example of our commitment to the State’s emergency services workers,” the Minister said.
“They have a huge responsibility to keep our communities safe and we have a responsibility to support them in that role.
“These new headquarters will address significant deficiencies and challenges within existing facilities following years of neglect by the Labor Government.
“I am immensely proud that our dedicated emergency services personnel will soon have a first-class, resilient headquarters with the operational tools and workspaces they need to continue the great work they do across our State.”
The World Park site is shovel-ready with construction due to begin in April 2020.
