Community
24 September, 2025
Charlton CFA still begging for bigger fire shed
The team welcomed a new 2020 Iveco Eurocargo Tanker, replacing the 34-year-old Isuzu Tanker in 2021. But it won't fit in the shed.
WHEN fire volunteers are called out to a job, the CFA station in town is the place to meet.
Getting your team together at the station to get in the truck is paramount to potentially saving structures - or sometimes even lives.
Time is critical. But for the Charlton CFA brigade, it isn’t that easy. The team welcomed a new 2020 Iveco Eurocargo Tanker, replacing the 34-year-old Isuzu Tanker in 2021.
But that came with one problem - it wouldn’t fit in the station.
“We were very thankful when we got the news a new truck was coming, it’s made a world of difference,” Charlton CFA captain Craig Walsh said.
“This new tanker is great; it has all the bells and whistles we need.
“As you can imagine having the fire truck parked off-site would cause some issues, including slowing down turnout time and a decrease in member involvement.”
Mr Walsh said the truck is being stored in a shed out the back of his business Walsh Motors.
“It just means every time we need to use it, I have to take it from there,” he said.
“If it’s during business hours, it’s not as much of a problem, but having to go into work when we’re not already there, that’s frustrating. It means we are wasting time when we wouldn’t have to if we had all of our equipment in one place.”
What’s even more frustrating is the number of close calls the team has had to getting new facilities.
“The first lot of land that was proposed was rejected because of the floodplain, which we understood,” Mr Walsh said.
“The second was also rejected because of the flood plain but would have been an ideal location as it was directly across from Charlton’s newly built hospital and Ambulance Station.
“The third lot of land was a better fit as there was no flood risk, so the CFA went back and forth with the owner of this land and was eventually successful and the land was purchased, this happened in February 2023.”
Mr Walsh said the brigade was told the funding tank was dry for this project, adding another blow.
“Since then, we have been told there is no longer funding in the budget for Charlton CFA to have a new station built.
“CFA has no funds allocated annually to invest in new trucks or fire stations and needs to constantly submit budget bids to the Government to access the required funds to invest in new equipment and buildings.
“We are out of options.”
Hoping to shed light on this critical issue, Mr Walsh wrote to Minister for Emergency Services Vicki Ward in January. She replied” “I am advised by CFA that the Charlton Fire Station is on their priority list for replacement, and the acquisition of land marked a significant step forward.
“Station replacement is prioritised based on district, regional and state-wide needs, community risk profile and service delivery needs, to ensure the best outcome for Victorians.”
The brigade isn’t the only group expressing concerns. Mildura MP Jade Benham called the existing Charlton CFA station, built in 1931, “simply inadequate” in an open letter.
“Female members of the brigade face challenges with changing facilities,” she said. “The situation is not only impractical but also places an undue burden on the brigade members who are ready to serve and protect our community. [This] could endanger lives,” Ms Benham said.
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