Alstonville Fire Station — the second busiest in the Northern Rivers — has unveiled its long-awaited $2 million upgrade, with the freshly rebuilt facility now serving as a blueprint for future fire station upgrades across NSW.

Responding to an average of 700 call-outs a year, around 80 per cent of them medical emergencies, the Alstonville brigade plays a vital role in the safety net of the region. Now, after a complete overhaul of the aging 50-year-old building, the station is finally getting the modern infrastructure to match the scale and complexity of its work.

The project, funded by the NSW Government, has transformed the original 1970s station into a purpose-built facility designed with the future of firefighting in mind. The 18-month rebuild included expanding the station’s footprint, upgrading training and storage areas, and introducing modern amenities to improve both crew safety and response times.

Superintendent Greg Lewis, FRNSW Zone Commander, said the input of local firefighters was central to the redesign.

“At Alstonville, our crews deal with everything — fires, road crashes, floods and a huge volume of medical emergencies. They deserve a space that supports them, and now they’ve got it,” he said.
“This upgrade isn’t just about bricks and mortar — it’s about building resilience for the next generation of emergency response.”

The new station includes designated ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ areas for storing firefighting gear, enhanced engine bay ventilation, and better facilities to support health, hygiene, and wellbeing. Modern bathrooms and more efficient internal circulation will also support gender-inclusive crews and faster turnarounds between jobs.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said Alstonville’s redevelopment represents more than just an infrastructure upgrade.

“This is a future-proofed fire station that will serve the Northern Rivers for decades to come. It brings local crews up to modern safety standards and stands as a model for other communities,” he said.

Minister for the North Coast, Janelle Saffin, added that fire stations are a vital part of local disaster response infrastructure.

“During the 2022 floods and other local emergencies, stations like this became lifelines. They’re more than garages for fire engines — they’re community hubs in times of crisis,” she said.

The rebuild is part of the NSW Government’s $98.7 million capital works program for Fire and Rescue NSW this financial year.

With crews already settling into the upgraded facility, the Alstonville Fire Station is expected to influence the design of similar upgrades across the state — ensuring the hardest-working brigades have the resources and environment to match.

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