News

• 2012-12-03 - All fired up! Work starts on new MFB training centre

  Work is officially under way on Victoria’s new $109 million emergency services training centre in Craigieburn, Minister for Major Projects Denis Napthine announced yesterday.

  Dr Napthine joined members from Victoria’s emergency services organisations to inspect the new site and turn the first sod on the landmark project. 

  “In the coming weeks work will begin to lay the gas pipes that will bring the facility’s 12 fire training simulation buildings to life,” Dr Napthine said.

  “Following the completion of the in-ground works, the builder will start work on the 5,800 square metre academic building, with the first of the structural steel going up around April next year. This facility marks a new era for emergency services in Victoria and we expect it will be operational in 2014.

  “This fantastic new facility supports a vital move towards interagency training and an all hazards approach to emergency management in Victoria,” Dr Napthine said.

  Minister for Police and Emergency Services Peter Ryan said the new facility would bolster training across a range of Victorian emergency services.

  “It is expected that the facility will also provide frontline training facilities for a number of the state’s other key emergency service organisations including the Country Fire Authority, Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and the State Emergency Services,” Mr Ryan said.

  “In addition to this $109 million development, in 2012-13 the Victorian Coalition Government has allocated almost $57 million to emergency services for infrastructure improvements, including $22.9 million to build or upgrade rural fire stations across the state.”

  MFB Chief Executive Officer, Nick Easy, said the facility will ensure the MFB remains one of the best trained emergency services organisations in Australia.

  “The Craigieburn MFB Training College will provide our current and future work force with access to comprehensive international standard practical and traditional training facilities,” Mr Easy said.

  “The Victorian community can rest assured knowing its fire fighters will have the best possible training to deal with responding to increasingly complex emergency scenarios.”

  Mr Easy said the first of the practical training buildings would be constructed on site around the middle of next year starting with the marine scenario and a high rise building.

  Dr Napthine said the facility would capture, treat and recycle all water used in training exercises.

  “As a result, the facility will have the capacity to reduce its reliance on mains supply by recycling up to 150 million litres of water each year,” Dr Napthine said.

  Leighton Contractors will build the facility which is expected to generate around 136 Victorian jobs and inject around $232 million into the state economy.
• 2012-08-14 - Leighton Contractors to construct new $109 million training facility for MFB

  The appointment of Leighton Contractors to build the Metropolitan Fire Brigade’s (MFB) new $109 million world class training facility at Craigieburn has been welcomed by Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency Services Peter Ryan and Minister for Major Projects Denis Napthine.

  Mr Ryan said the purpose-built facility would create 136 full time jobs through the construction phase and give firefighters the chance to train in conditions that replicate Melbourne’s urban landscape. 

  “In addition to classroom learning facilities, this new training centre will feature simulated learning scenarios that are unique to Melbourne including train and tram infrastructure, marine settings and retail shopping environments,” Mr Ryan said. 

  “The Craigieburn facility will also be a dynamic example of incorporating agency interoperability, supporting the shift towards an all-hazards, all-agencies approach to emergency management in Victoria.” 

  Dr Napthine said Leighton Contractors was selected following an extensive tender process led by Major Projects Victoria in full consultation with the MFB. 

  “Leighton Contractors bring a wealth of knowledge built from the delivery of a wide range of technically challenging and complex projects,” Dr Napthine said. 

  “Leighton will work alongside award winning architects Woods Bagot and international fire services specialists Haagan in delivering this state of the art project. 

  “The Victorian Coalition Government is proud to deliver such a vital project that will ensure our metropolitan firefighters and other emergency service personnel have access to training facilities that are of the highest standard.” 

  Construction on the new MFB training facility is scheduled to start in coming months with the centre set to be operational in late 2014.
• 2012-08-09 - New $109 million firefighter training facility for Metropolitan Fire Brigade
  Minister for Major Projects Denis Napthine today announced plans for a new

  Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) training facility in Craigieburn that would

  give firefighters one of the best emergency services training facilities in

  Australia.

  
  

  Dr Napthine said the new $109 million complex, due for completion in late

  2014, would challenge firefighters with realistic emergency scenarios

  tailored to Melbourne’s unique urban landscape, including laneways, rail

  tunnels and tram stops.

  
  

  “The new facility will meet the MFB’s current and future training needs and

  allow it to deliver specialist emergency services, which include

  firefighting, urban search and rescue, marine response, emergency medical

  response and hazardous material response,” Dr Napthine said.

  
  

  “Training in real life hazard scenarios means better prepared firefighters,

  and better prepared firefighters mean a safer community,” Dr Napthine said.

  
  

  MFB is partnering with Major Projects Victoria to develop the facility,

  which will include environmentally sound design initiatives to maximise

  resource sustainability and minimise environmental impact.

  
  

  MFB Chief Executive Officer Nick Easy said the state-of-the-art facility

  would also feature an academic building for classroom-based learning and a

  drill yard.

  
  

  “A series of purpose-built training props simulating the Melbourne city

  environment will present firefighters with realistic emergency situations

  to test both recruits and serving firefighters,” Mr Easy said.

  
  

  Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency Services Peter Ryan

  said the facility would not only meet MFB’s training requirements but had

  the capacity to be available to other emergency service organisations as

  required.

  
  

  “The MFB Craigieburn facility is a dynamic example of incorporating agency

  interoperability,” Mr Ryan said.

  
  

  “The new facility further strengthens the MFB’s role within the emergency

  services industry in the adoption and promotion of new technologies and the

  development and implementation of new training initiatives.

  
  

  “This is also an exciting infrastructure project that will benefit all

  Victorians as well as the local City of Hume community, who will benefit

  from increased activity in the area,” Mr Ryan said.

  
  

  The facility is expected to be operational in 2014 and will occupy almost

  half of the 18.6 hectare site in Craigieburn.