The NSW Rural Fire Service proposal for a new headquarters in either the towns of Harden or Young has taken on a new direction after the consultant employed to review the sites in each town returned to the committee, two reports contradicting the cost of establishing the building.
Harden Shire has provided the NSW Rural Fire Service with the current facilities in the Trinity Centre for the past 15 years. They have also been the auspicing authority in regard to fire control in the area for this time.
A new facility is currently being looked at in the area at a cost of approximately $4.5 million dollars.
Cootamundra and Boorowa have left it to Young and Harden to battle over the facility. The proposed site for Harden is at the Harden Racecourse on a particulary flat piece of land next to the Burley Griffin Way. The site chosen for the Young site is on a particulary steep hillside on the Olympic way on the southern side of Young.
The first report states that the Harden site could be constructed at a cost of approximately $424,887 including GST and a contingency of 25%.
The first report also states that of the two options discussed at Young – option 1 comes in at $590,000 including GST and a 25% contingency, option 2 at Young comes in at $797,756. A cost saving for the Harden site of $165,113 compared to option 1 at Young and $372,869 compared to option 2.
The recommendation and conclusion goes on to state “Harden is recommended as the site more suitable for the development of a new RFS Fire Control Centre.”
Another report delivered to the committee by Brown Consulting has since stated that Harden’s cost for site preparation has been recalculated at $894,901 including GST and a contingency of 25%. An increase from the first report by Brown Consulting of $470,014.
The report also had varied results in regard to the calculating of Young’s two options. Option 1 saw a reduction of $120,425. For option 2 it was reduced by $118,750.
The current report seems to contain figures that are disparative in nature and also disregards the vote taken by volunteers in the 4 townships who voted for the facility to be constructed in Harden.
It seems unfathomable that reports can change in their finding so quickly and so drastically.
Young, Cootamundra and Boorowa will now take the report back to their council meetings next month to formalise a vote on the destination of the facility.