A new $5.8 million volunteer fire and emergency service station has officially opened in Halls Creek, marking the end of a 10-year wait to strengthen emergency response in the isolated East Kimberley town.
The facility replaces an ageing station that lacked the space to house modern, heavy-duty bushfire tenders, which often left vital equipment exposed to the harsh Kimberley elements.
The upgraded hub provides local volunteers with expanded drive-through vehicle bays, advanced communications technology, and dedicated training rooms.
The station is vital for a region that faces intense dry-season bushfires and severe wet-season flooding, which frequently cut off remote Aboriginal communities along the Great Northern Highway.
A representative from the Halls Creek fire station said the project represented a decade of community determination.
“The official opening on June 20th marked the culmination of 10 years of funding, planning, and effort to provide a state-of-the-art firefighting facility, that better serves the Halls Creek community,” they said.
“Local community will benefit from the extra space and modern equipment at the new station, which allows volunteer firefighters to prepare for and attend emergency incidents more efficiently.”
The facility was funded through a State Government regional safety investment.
Community members interested in joining the Halls Creek VFES are encouraged to contact the brigade.
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