Growth prompts new fire station plans

Population growth has prompted plans for a new fire station, which will enable the fire service to meet its deadlines.

Albany and Long Bay have both been intensively developed in recent years and are in the catchment area of the new station, which is further north than the one it would replace.

The proposed station would replace the existing East Coast Bays Fire Station in Rothesay Bay and would be located on East Coast Rd, near Glamorgan Drive.

The consent documents reveal the fire service, now Fire and Emergency New Zealand, had consulted with neighbours around the site and five of the seven had provided written approval for the project. It was now in a limited notification process meaning only those affected could submit.

‘‘The existing East Coast Bays Fire Station at 19 Knights Rd, Rothesay Bay, is unable to meet the New Zealand Fire Service’s service delivery target of attending 90 per cent of incidents within five minutes of leaving the station,’’ the documents said. ‘‘The proposed new fire station is located much closer to the targeted catchment area.’’

The proposal included earthworks, encroaching a road reserve, tearing down houses on

‘‘Fire stations are valued.’’

two of the three properties, and building a three-storey fire station.

The station would include a gymnasium, offices, sleeping quarters, a place to store the fire trucks, and more.

Positive effects the proposal might have were also in the consent documents, including: ’’Fire stations are valued, as they provide a sense of safety.’’

Other documents included in the limited notification application included a traffic impact assessment, engineering report and assessment of noise effects.

The traffic impact assessment concluded there would be no traffic-related reason why resource consent should not be granted.

The engineering report said existing public infrastructure, such as wastewater and stormwater reticulation, was available and could ‘‘adequately service the development’’.

Finally, the noise assessment concluded construction noise would be controlled and the overall noise effect would be ‘‘no more than minor for the neighbours’’.

Like the existing station, the proposed new station would operate 24/7 and would include both career and volunteer firefighters.

ZIZI SPARKS/STUFF East Coast Bays Fire Station in Rothesay Bay will eventually be moved to East Coast Road.