The closure of the CFA training facility at Fiskville will have a significant negative impact on the local economy and lives of families, according to the mayor of Moorabool.
Cr Paul Tatchell said he had a number of concerns surrounding the immediate closure of the training facility last week after water at the site was found to be contaminated.
“First and foremost, my concerns are for the health and well-being of residents who have been living and working there,” he said.
He said another major concern was the impact the closure would have on the community.
“Sixty people, real people with real families, have lost their jobs,” he said. “It’s just cruel.”
Cr Tatchell said the loss of jobs would have an impact on the social well-being of employees and add to the unemployment struggles of rural areas.
He said Moorabool ratepayers were paying enormous fire levies and had put in “hundreds of thousands of dollars in the state’s coffers”.
He said they would now suffer the “indignity” of losing jobs from a major employer in a small town and lose the fire protection aspect, too.
Cr Tatchell said there was also the problem of “leaching contamination” to surrounding farms.
“What about the people who make a living around the area?” he said. “The knock-on effect is enormous.”
Cr Tatchell said he would not tolerate a “mess” being left in Moorabool, either.
“They’re not going leave a mess out there; they’re not going to leave Moorabool with a toxic island.
“And if they’re going to clean it up anyway why don’t they keep running the facility? Why build another when there’s one already in existence?”
He said if the facility needed to be moved, it should be relocated somewhere else within the shire.
“Clean it up or find another [spot for it],” he said. “At least keep it in Moorabool … [That way] people won’t lose jobs, the economy will stay stable and we’ll have peace of mind.”
Cr Tatchell said the lack of consultation from the state government was “horrendous” and he would have liked more information about the exact issue at Fiskville and the clean-up.
“It’s turning into a political football,” he said.
CFA chief executive Michael Wootten said the future of the facility was unclear.
“I want to stress that further testing of the mains water will need to take place before we can determine our immediate next steps,” Mr Wootten said.
