Community
25 February, 2026
‘Simply not acceptable’: council joins fight for Charlton CFA's new station
“Our CFA volunteers give their time freely to protect lives, property across the district and they deserve facilities that allows them to respond quickly, train safely and serve with dignity."
A BULOKE Shire councillor has joined the fight to get Charlton CFA a new shed.
At council’s ordinary meeting last Wednesday night, Cr Bruce Stafford asked councillors to support him in writing to the Victorian Emergency Services minister requesting urgent funding for a new station.
“This is all about ensuring volunteers that protect our communities are provided with facilities that are safe, functional and fit-for-purpose,” Cr Stafford said.
“The CFA operates out of a station that’s 95-years-old, in fact the brigade will be celebrating the station’s 95th birthday [on Thursday].
“Whilst it has served the town well for decades, it was never designed for modern appliances or contemporary operation requirements.”
In 2021, the Charlton fire brigade was happy to receive a new 2020 Iveco Eurocargo Tanker, replacing the 34-year-old Isuzu Tanker in 2021.
As exciting as it was, this new piece of equipment wouldn’t fit in the CFA’s shed in Halliday Street.
This meant the truck would have to be stored out the back at Walsh Motors, down the road in High Street.
“This adds time to response times, minutes to these times. This matters to response times,” Cr Stafford said.
Cr Stafford said these “short comings” were brought to light during the fire in Charlton in December, which burnt more than 4,000 hectares of farmland.
“It exposed just how constrained the brigade is by its limitations of the current facilities when responding to major emergencies,” he said.
But the brigade has been pleading with the government for years to build better facilities on a piece of land already purchased for the structure.
Frustrations boiled over in September last year when Charlton CFA captail Craig Walsh told the NCN Herald the brigade was “out of options”.
“It’s not good enough,” Mr Walsh said.
“This has been going on for five years, where’s the money for our shed?”
Another concern raised was the shed’s lack of changing facilities and amenities for women and subpar ones for male volunteers.
“In 2026, it’s simply not acceptable,” Cr Stafford said.
“It creates barriers to volunteer participation, recruitment and retention.”
“Our CFA volunteers give their time freely to protect lives, property across the district and they deserve facilities that allows them to respond quickly, train safely and serve with dignity.
“I’m simply asking council to write to the Emergency Services minister to request funding to be made available as a matter of urgency.
“It’s a reasonable, necessary and overdue request and I ask council to support it.”
Mildura MP Jade Benham who visited the station a few weeks ago, said she has been raising the issue in parliament for years.
“I first raised this issue in Parliament in 2023 and have repeatedly raised it with the Minister for Emergency Services,” she said. “Yet, despite these efforts, the Allan Labor Government has cut CFA funding by $55 million in real terms since 2020, as communities like Charlton continue to struggle for basic, fit-for-purpose facilities.”
Cr Stephen Barrett seconded the motion and said he would “lend his support fully behind” the request. There were no objectors to the motion and it was carried.
Buloke Shire Council will now write to Ms Ward and request a copy of Council’s correspondence to Ms Ward also be provided for information to the Local Victorian members of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly and the Federal Emergency Management minister Kristy McBain.
Due to his work on consulting and appraisal work through Getley and Sons Real Estate, Cr Alan Getley declared a conflict of interest and excused himself from the meeting.
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