The Yackandandah CFA brigade has a safer and more modern station to call home after receiving a vital infrastructure upgrade as part of a $1.5 million statewide initiative. The CFA’s Motor Room Door Replacement Program is entering its final stages, modernising station infrastructure across the region to support volunteer safety and prepare for larger, next-generation firefighting vehicles. The local rollout has reached significant milestones across the North East, with the new motorised doors already fully installed and operational at the Yackandandah, Mount Buller, Murchison, Alexandra, and Mt Evelyn stations. The $1.5 million program, funded through the CFA Base Capital allocation, replaces aging, manual bifold counterweight doors with fully motorized upgrades. The initiative aims to eliminate the physical strain and workplace injury risks associated with manually lifting and closing heavy station doors. CFA acting head of property and environmental services, Jonathan Beattie, said the project has been a major success since its launch in June last year. “We have been able to ensure stations will match the demand of vehicles as brigades grow,” he said. “We are always looking for ways to work into the future, and this project has been a great example of doing just that.” Some 55 stations are included within the program, which is scheduled for full completion by September. Following the conclusion of the formal program, future door replacements will shadow vehicle deliveries.
