The facility brings together two Far South Coast units from the NSW SES and RFS. Photo: NSW SES.
It’s hoped a newly opened emergency hub with an almost $6 million price tag will protect a South Coast town from the “worst of times”.
The NSW SES Batemans Bay unit had its base razed in the 2019/2020 bushfires, leaving it without a permanent location.
Construction of a purpose-built home for the local SES and RFS units, the Surf Beach Emergency Services Precinct, started in June 2025.
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips welcomed the opening, but acknowledged people’s “determination” during the wait for the project.
“I know – we all know – it has taken a very long time to get here,” she said.
“But I think we would all agree that the facility that is here today is just magnificent. … You [the community] kept this coming to what it is today.”
The precinct includes vehicle bays, training and operations areas, modern communications and improved volunteer amenities, such as changerooms, offices, a kitchen and laundry facilities.
Ms Phillips said “functionality” of the new precinct would be far improved.
The headquarters of the NSW SES Batemans Bay Unit was destroyed during the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires. Photo: Mike Day.
For NSW SES volunteers, their section also features garages to house their rescue vehicles, boats and rescue equipment.
NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said the Batemans Bay unit had shown “an amazing level of not just resilience, but joy” in their work while operating in a temporary facility.
The work of the local emergency service branches was also echoed by RFS Deputy Commissioner Peter McKechnie.
He said the precinct would stand as a community facility, saying that while it “came out of the worst of times”, it would prepare Batemans Bay for when they came again.
“These facilities are just so important in more ways than we probably realise when we’re putting them together,” he said.
The Surf Beach RFS Brigade has the use of three truck bays, equipment storage space and dedicated areas for training and meetings.
Eurobodalla Shire Council Mayor Mathew Hatcher praised the work of emergency services during the bushfires.
“You truly are the heroes of this area … None of us who live here will ever forget what you did for us,” he said.
“This is a small token that hopefully goes a long way towards you getting more volunteers and hopefully it’s the training facilities that you need, as well, to make sure that you continue to keep us safe.”
Member for Bega Doctor Michael Holland said the new precinct would improve the ability of emergency services to respond to future disasters.
He described the facility as being a “new birth” for the region.
“We live in a time when our emergencies are not going to get any less – they’re going to get even more [common],” he said.
NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said the new facility would improve “interoperability” in the area and make co-operation easier.
“All our emergency services work together – it’s never a competition. … When the callout comes from the community for help, every single one of our people goes out there to help,” he said.
“They don’t care about what colour you’re wearing … What they care about is who can help one another.”
A NSW SES spokesperson previously told Region that the nearly $6 million price tag was shared between the NSW Government, the NSW SES, Eurobodalla Shire Council, the NSW RFS and the Federal Government.
