Merriwa is a rural town located an hour drive Northwest from both Muswellbrook and Singleton in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales.
The original emergency centre was a 60-year-old semi-converted panel-beaters shed built from cement blocks with iron framework and walls.
The poor quality of the structure meant the building flooded during severe weather, making the facility hazardous and unfit for purpose when it was most needed by the community.
The town of Merriwa has faced 2 major bushfires in the last 3 years. It has also dealt with several droughts, major storms, infectious diseases, and significant search and rescue operations.
The need to keep Merriwa prepared is greater than ever. It must be ready to respond to emergencies and recover from devastating events now and in the future.
As part of the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery grants program, the Merriwa Emergency and Rescue centre received $1.4 million in funding to demolish the original building and construct a new, fit for purpose facility.
The new facility is built from non-combustible, water-proof materials to ensure maximum resilience during floods and adverse events.
Merriwa’s new centre is large enough to support the community by housing:
The space will also be utilised for training events to ensure maximum community usage throughout the year.
The new and improved centre also has several spaces for the community to use, including an operational space and office spaces to accommodate and support recovery agencies.
This provides the necessary privacy and confidentiality required for disaster victims to have personal conversations around mental health and financial counselling support as required.
Merriwa Rescue Centre is now a fit-for-purpose structure that meets not only the day-to-day needs of our rescue volunteers but supports the needs of the broader community during times of natural disaster and other emergency needs.
The Merriwa Rescue Centre opened on September 25, and the community could not be happier with the updated centre.
