Building work has begun on 28 bushfire stations and emergency operations centres in regional NSW as part of state government efforts to boost disaster readiness.
Work on several new combined Fire Control and Emergency Operations Centres and 18 new rural fire stations statewide was moving ahead, the government said on Saturday.
"This summer has already served as a reminder of our reliance on our volunteer firefighters, who have tirelessly responded to bushfire emergencies in both NSW, Victoria and beyond," Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said.
The builds come six years after the catastrophic 2019/20 "Black Summer" bushfire season, the state's worst on record, during which 26 lives were lost and 2448 homes destroyed.
The disaster prompted a raft of state initiatives to bolster bushfire resilience.
The government said more than $34.5 million was committed this year to progress its building work, describing construction of operations centres at Cooma, Clarence Valley and Namoi-Gwydir as well advanced.
Planning work was progressing for similar facilities at Eurobodalla, Tumut and the Hawkesbury, while a new Rural Fire Services office complex was being planned at Brewarrina, it said.
New fire stations were being built at Wilberforce in the Hawkesbury, Surf Beach on the South Coast, Dunmore at Shellharbour, Mooney Mooney on the Central Coast and Carabost in the Riverina.
In addition to fires, the facilities would be "critical in co-ordinating response" to other emergencies such as storms and floods, the government said.
"Better stations, new Fire Control Centres and modern trucks all contribute to safer, more effective firefighting operations," RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin said.
"Our volunteers deserve our support and this funding helps ensure they have it."
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