$6 million fire station officially opens

Pictured: State Member for Bancroft Chris Whiting, centre with Laurence Christie, right, and Keith King of Mango Hill Progress Association.

Moreton Bay’s new fire station, covering North Lakes, Mango Hill and Deception Bay, has been officially opened.

The $6 million Moreton Bay Central Fire and Rescue Station has been operating in Steel St, Narangba since mid-November.

But dignitaries from State Government, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) and the community officially launched the station on Tuesday.

They included State Member for Pine Rivers Nikki Boyd, the Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery and State Member for Bancoft Chris Whiting.

Mr Whiting paid tribute to the Mango Hill Progress Association (MHPA), represented at the opening, which started, lobbied and helped secure the station.

The presentation to QFES was “perfectly pitched”, Mr Whiting said at Wednesday’s MHPA meeting and persuaded fire chiefs a new station was needed.

Official opening - click through

Moreton Bay Central, funded by the State Government, has 16 full-time staff, (four station officers, 12 firefighters) with five firefighting appliances.

It is also the new home of Deception Bay Auxiliary Fire Unit which has made the short move with its 13 paid part-time staff (three officers, 10 firefighters).

The full and part-time crews have four engine bays, a storage shed, duty office, as well as training, turnout and recline rooms.

“With pockets of Queensland growing, our firefighters play a crucial role in keeping the community safe from fires and other emergencies,” Minister Boyd said.

“That’s why the Queensland Government invested $6 million in the Moreton Bay area to deliver a state-of-the-art fire station.

“With the official opening, communities can rest assured their local emergency services are at hand.”

Story so far ... in pictures

Chris Whiting, key driver of the project, said: “It was a team effort to make this a reality.

“The Mango Hill Progress Association, especially Keith King, pushed for this to happen and I arranged a formal delegation to meet then-Minister Crawford at Parliament House.

“We presented an excellent case and QFES agreed we need a fire and rescue station.

“Then (State Member for Murrumba and now Premier) Steven Miles worked hard to make sure the fire station would be delivered as an election commitment.

“I am so proud to see this new service and infrastructure delivered into our local community.”