A $19 MILLION fire station is to be built amidst homes in Carr Street, West Perth.

Ironically, the station will be built on the site of a warehouse that burned down in 2012 (no 27-33) near the Charles Street end.

Vincent mayor John Carey says he met with the WA government for a briefing on the station two months ago and advised it that, because of the proximity to residences, it needed to undertake early public consultation.

“We were concerned about noise and traffic pollution for residents living so close by,” he told the Voice.

“The next thing I heard about it was a statement from the state government.”

• Site of the proposed fire station on Carr Street. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

Council CEO Len Kosova warns the city will have limited input on the station’s future.

“The fire station does not require planning approval under the city’s town planning scheme, but will likely require approval from the WA planning commission under the metropolitan region scheme,” he says.

“The city would have the opportunity to provide comment.”

FESA said it would be undertaking local consultation, but says modern fire stations are built to minimise disruptions to locals. The new fire station will have three trucks and cater for up to 12 firefighters per shift.

Planning and design has started and is expected to be completed in 2017.

“A new station on the western side of the CBD will ease the pressure on the existing station in East Perth,” says WA emergency services minister Joe Francis.

“This is a sensible planning decision and reflects the state government’s commitment to provide sufficient emergency services to protect the city’s CBD, as well as suburban and regional communities.”

Vincent council spent about $160,000 clearing asbestos from the burned out site and affected nearby properties and recovered only some of the costs from the the-then owner.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK