Swannanoa temporary station opens

Swannanoa temporary station

After nearly ten years operating from a spartan shed, members of the Swannanoa Volunteer Fire Brigade have moved into a temporary facility that will be the brigade’s new home.

The temporary Swannanoa station was officially opened on Sunday 18 April, when brigade members were joined by local MP Matt Doocey and Waimakariri’s Mayor Dan Gordon. 

National Wildfire Manager Brian Keown, who officiated for Fire and Emergency, said that the original fire station was little more than a basic shed, which had no running water or ablutions and was prone to dampness and flooding.

Thanks to local landowners Rhys and Jo Dobson, Fire and Emergency has leased land and an implement shed to house its appliances and equipment, and installed portacoms as temporary facilities which include an ablutions block with showers, toilets and a decontamination wash bench, and a meeting / operations room and kitchenette for the 26-member team. 

Swannanoa, in the Waimakariri District of Canterbury, is a high-growth area and the brigade responds to an average 94 callouts a year.

The new facility will be their home for the next few years, while a long-term station is scoped and developed.