Emergency hub cheered

‘State-of-the-art’ $12m building will link police, fire and SES crews

SORELL firefighters, police officers and SES volunteers will all work out of a single “state-of-the-art” emergency services hub, with construction expected to be completed in 2022.

The $12 million hub will be built on a former council football field in central Sorell which was bought by the State Government for $1.

Police, Fire and Emergency Management Minister Mark Shelton yesterday said the state’s South-East region, in particular Sorell, was one of Tasmania’s fastest growing areas.

“Today we are delivering on our commitment to acquire land and begin planning for the hub with building expected to start next year and completed in early to mid 2022,” he said.

“The hub will be particularly important in helping to build a positive working relationship between emergency personnel and the community they serve.

“The Sorell hub will also provide accommodation for the SES, which at present do not have a volunteer presence in Sorell.”

Sorell Mayor Kerry Vincent said having all the emergency services on their doorstep would give residents a “great sense of security”.

“This development is something we’ve talked about for quite a few decades now, and it’s not just for Sorell, it’s for the whole South-East region,” Cr Vincent said.

“As we’ve seen in recent years, when there is a disaster, everything funnels through Sorell, so it’s very sensible to build such a facility here.

“It’s very complementary having all the services in one complex. We have a huge amount of firefighting volunteers who would love to upskill and expand on their duties with the SES.”

Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said: “We can co-ordinate our resources and our training exercises, but what it also means, with the increase in police numbers, is that we will have an inspector down here again. It’s particularly important because it’s a growing area and a gateway to the SouthEast with a lot of highway.”

WHEN THERE IS A DISASTER, EVERYTHING FUNNELS THROUGH SORELL, SO IT’S SENSIBLE TO BUILD SUCH A FACILITY HERE SORELL MAYOR KERRY VINCENT