The state government may need to compulsorily acquire land at Ballan for a new Country Fire Authority training centre site.
The hunt has been on for several months to find a new training site after Fiskville was shut down due to high levels of toxins found in local water.
Moorabool mayor Allan Comrie says the town is desperate for a new location to be found soon.
Cr Comrie welcomed news all options were being explored in a bid to secure land for a new training centre in the region.
He said he doubted many people would be affected if land had to be compulsorily acquired.
“We’re very, very happy,” Cr Comrie said. “The property owners of the properties would be happy because the state government [could] be willing to pay above what the real estate prices are.”
A new training facility is vital to keep the town vibrant and the people employed, with small businesses suffering losses since the closure of Fiskville, Cr Comrie said.
The state government has allocated $300,000 in its current budget to secure land for a new training site.
JANE GARRETT. PICTURE JOSH ROBENSTONE
Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett has said the state government is committed to finding somewhere at Ballan.
For several months the minister has said the government is close to securing a deal. But, so far, no land purchase has been made.
When Star Weekly made enquiries last week, a government spokeswoman said it is working with the CFA and the Moorabool council to identify land for a new “hot fire training facility in the Ballan area”.
“We are hopeful of securing a new site as quickly as possible,” the spokeswoman said.
“The land must meet specific criteria, and we want to make sure we get it right.
“All options are on the table,” she said.
Western Victoria Region MLC Joshua Morris earlier this month slammed the state government in parliament for leaving Ballan “in the dark, waiting for the government to get its act together” about the future CFA training centre.
The state government spokeswoman would not be drawn on how many properties may be needed for the new centre. Nor would she say when an announcement could be made about a successful puchase.
– with The Ballarat Courier
