VICSES Footscray Unit to benefit from state-of-the-art facility

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) Footscray Unit volunteers will soon have a brand-new home, with a modern, purpose-built facility to be constructed in nearby Maidstone.

Minister for Emergency Services the Hon. Vicki Ward attended the unit’s current Irdwe Street headquarters to announce more than $14m in funding courtesy of the 2025/26 budget will be used to construct the new base, which will be able to accommodate 90 volunteers to allow the unit’s volunteer-base to continue to grow.

One of the busiest units in Melbourne’s west, VICSES Footscray Unit volunteers respond to more than 500 requests for assistance (RFAs) each year on average and recently led a massive response to the 2022 Maribyrnong River floods.

The state-of-the-art facility will feature five motor bays to house additional vehicles for the unit, as well as dedicated training areas, communications and wellbeing rooms and modern office spaces to support operational planning and allow volunteers to expedite their emergency response.

The 5,000 square-metre Maidstone site also holds strong local significance, having previously been home to the Maribyrnong Migrant Hostel, which played a vital role in resettling thousands of displaced people in the wake of World War II.

Construction of the new Hampstead Road facility is expected to begin following project approvals later this year.

The new facility will further bolster the ability of volunteers to turn out in support of the community following one of VICSES’ busiest years on record, with volunteers called to almost 37,000 RFAs across the state in 2024/25.

To find out more about volunteering with VICSES, visit www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us.