At Yass Council’s recent Tuesday meeting, they voted on whether or not they would advocate for the retention of an important-Fire and Rescue vehicle. It was recommended that Council support the retention in the Yass Fire and Rescue 511 fleet of the Compressed Air Foam System 4WD vehicle.
Council notes that Mayor Jones called an urgent meeting attended by Local Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman, Clr Rothwell, Yass Fire ND Rescue Captain Chris Inglis and supporting officer, RFS District Manager Krystaal Hinds, and NSW Police Regional Emergency Management Officer Matthew Chifley.
Council notes the outcomes that Mayor Jones has written to multiple Ministers and local members seeking intervention for the retention of the vehicle. Jones has also previously met with Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig.Councillor Rothwell originally raised the unexpected development of Fire and Rescue’s operational decision to initiate the transfer of the Yass vehicle to Cootamundra.
During an urgent meeting, Mayor Jones called with local emergency services leadership. She said it became clear that there has been no consultation from FRNSW leadership regarding this decision with the Yass 511 Fire and Rescue team, the LEOCON Yass Police Hume District, or the Yass Valley Council through the Local Emergency Management Committee. Additionally, Council said they were informed that no one at the Cootamundra station is currently qualified to operate the CAFS vehicle.
Mayor Jones said, “Removing this vehicle would leave our Yass Valley first responders dangerously under-resourced for Fire and Rescue operations across our vast Local Government Area (LGA) and in supporting neighbouring areas. Yass 511 is predominantly a rescue service, with 70% of its crew’s rescue activities occurring on three federal highways (Hume, Barton, and Federal), two state roads, five regional roads, and numerous urban-rural interfaces on local unsealed roads.
The Yass Valley is also a known fatigue zone along the Hume Highway’s heavy freight corridor, which is earmarked for PBS 3 vehicles under the NSW Government’s South-East Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan. This will only increase the potential for more serious crashes requiring specialised teams, including the Compressed Air Foam System truck and the greater crew lift ability of the CT511.
“The Yass 511 team’s foresight in delaying the transfer proved crucial during a serious Motor Vehicle Accident on the Hume Highway from Sunday, July 6th, to Monday, July 7th, at Gunning. Without this vehicle, ready with gear, the team would have been unable to adequately respond or safely transport relieving crews and gear for an event that spanned the evening into the early hours.
“This vehicle has also already been pivotal in flood and farm rescues due to its superior clearance and specialised equipment. “The Yass Valley is projected to experience significant population growth, primarily due to its desirable rural amenity adjacent to the ACT. The Yass Valley Settlement Strategy forecasts a population of around 28,000 by 2036, potentially reaching 43,950 by 2056. This growth is expected to be concentrated in Yass and Murrumbateman in the short to medium term, along with the unprecedented fast-tracking of the cross-border Parkwood Development, 11,500 homes, with 5,000 homes in NSW.
“The first development application to Yass Valley Council is expected within 18 months if the border is not moved. The NSW Government will need to fortify existing services and create a strategic plan for their expansion to service our growing regional community, not reduce capacity.”
– Jack Murray
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