Roof on new fire station

After more than 20 years of delays and setbacks, work is progressing rapidly on Paihia's new fire station.

The three-bay station is being built on Selwyn Rd, around the corner from the old station on Williams Rd.

Fire Service property manager Mal Tipton said the station was being built to last, with a projected life of 70 years. It was being fitted with the latest technology, included an emergency operations centre, and had space for two fire engines and one auxiliary vehicle.

The construction tender was won by Henwood Builders, of Kaikohe, so all labour was local, Mr Tipton said.

Work was on schedule, with the station set to be completed about July 30. The roof and external cladding was in place, with work now under way on internal lining and power, plumbing and data services, he said.

Paihia fire chief Shane Schrafft said the volunteers were looking forward to moving in.

"We're stoked with the way the contractors are working and moving ahead."

Now that progress was clearly visible, the brigade had seen a surge of interest and new members - though more were always welcome, Mr Schrafft said.

Plans were mooted for a new station almost 20 years ago because of lack of space and the poor state of the building.

When the fire engines are parked inside, the gap between the bumper and bay doors amounts to a few millimetres; the truck has to be driven on to the footpath before firefighters have enough space to don their protective gear, wasting precious time.

However, plans to build the new station had been mired in bureaucratic delays, including a wrangle two years ago between the Far North District Council and Far North Holdings over a land swap between the Fire Service and the council-owned holding company.

The project was delayed again last year when higher-than-expected costs forced the Fire Service back to the drawing board for a simpler design.