New fire sheds for Appleby, Marahau rural crews on Tasman District Council wish-list

Appleby and Marahau volunteer rural fire forces may receive new sheds.

Tasman district councillors this month gave approval for the council's share of any money accrued by Waimea Rural Fire Authority to go towards infrastructure projects at Appleby and Marahau.

Waimea Rural Fire Authority is due to be disbanded on July 1 when responsibilities for rural fire are combined with urban fire under a proposed new central Government organisation called Fire and Emergency New Zealand. TDC is one of the stakeholders in Waimea Rural Fire Authority, which also includes Nelson City Council, Department of Conservation, Nelson Forests and Tasman Pine Forests.

Any money accrued by the fire authority will be redistributed to the stakeholders. Initially, TDC regulatory manager Adrian Humphries estimated the council could receive $100,000 but this week he said he did not believe it would be that much.

Whatever did come back would be spent on rural fire, Humphries said – a move welcomed by Waimea Rural Fire Authority principal rural fire officer Ian Reade.

"It's very commendable ... to leave rural fire in the best condition it possibly can," Reade said.

Appleby Rural Volunteer Fire Force controller Paul Eggers said the team had been in its shed at Pea Viner Corner for more than 25 years but it could be difficult to get access onto the increasingly busy state highway.

"A car from Motueka might indicate to let us go but the car behind thinks it's turning," Eggers said. "We just can't get out sometimes."

Appleby was one of the busiest rural fire forces. Its central location meant it was often called to help other crews including Hira and Brightwater.

A TDC-owned site along the Moutere Highway has been suggested as a possible location for a new Appleby shed.

At Marahau, DOC had allocated land rent-free in its community hub for the rural fire force and a new shed would mean "a more suitable building in a more suitable area", with easy access to the helipad for operations in the national park, Humphries says in a report on the issue.

This week, Humphries said there were a "few hurdles" to clear but it was aimed to get the money allocated by July.