New Croydon Fire Station will now be safer - and with money saved - thanks to the UFU Victoria Branch. The MFB designed and built the driveway entrance to the new Croydon Fire Station straight into one of the most busy and dangerous intersections in the suburb.

This was an accident waiting to happen - a real hazard for firefighters making a rapid exit from the station during a callout. However, despite the driveway being a potential death trap, the UFU had to drag the MFB kicking and screaming into Industrial Relations Commission to resolve the problem.

The Union came out of the talks with a victory, a common sense solution, a saving to the MFB of about $100,000, and a safer location for firefighters and the public. It also means that, after remedial works, the station can finally open.

Bad location
Under the MFB plan, Croydon station appliances would have been leaving the station only metres away from a left-turn slip lane which is adjacent to the intersection of Mt Dandenong and Dorset Roads. Traffic use the lane at relatively high speeds to negotiate the intersection.

It's a dangerous spot for all, and the MFB new this, because during one inspection a truck nearly collided with an appliance leaving the station. However, the MFB continued to drag it's feet, despite advice from an independent traffic expert that recommended re-angling the slip lane to reduce the traffic risk. The MFB said VicRoads didn't like that idea.

Truth revealed
But as it turned out, the MFB’s own independent experts confirmed that the Union's proposal was the best thing to do - and so did VicRoads, who costed the fix at $100,000 less than the MFB’s plan. The MFB finally gave in and now the Croydon FS26 will open when the new slip-lane works are complete.

The Union was only able to get this result, and protect the safety of firefighters and the public, because of a consultation clause in the current Enterprise Agreement. That Agreement is now due for renegotiation and the MFB wants this clause deleted.

Shoot the messengers
Unfortunately, the MFB has now attempted to rewrite Croydon history by misrepresenting the Southern Zone Health and Safety representatives' work on many issues at Croydon - including the access problem.

This approach is a sad reflection on the state of MFB management and helps explains why it has been responsible for a a string of facility decisions that have wasted public money and made a difficult job even more difficult for Melbourne firefighters.