Bee voiced his concerns to Fire and Emergency New Zealand Canterbury managers at a regional fire chiefs’ meeting last week. But he has yet to hear back from them.
"I’m starting to kick now and say this is unacceptable. It is extremely frustrating,” he said.
"My question is when. We were supposed to be this year, but when now?” Bee said.
A FENZ spokesperson said the station remains safe for the volunteer brigade’s continued use.
"Fire stations are assessed to stricter seismic criteria than ordinary buildings, as they are assessed on whether they can be fully operational immediately after an earthquake,” the spokesperson said.
“We are working with seismic priorities across our portfolio, and will be developing a formal business case to support the implementation of the earthquake-prone building notice for Lincoln.”
FENZ could not say when the business case would be finished or when the building might be replaced. A FENZ property manager told Bee to go to Selwyn MP Nicola Grigg for funding to replace the station.
“They want me to campaign to my local MP Nicola Grigg. You have to be kidding me if you think that’s an acceptable way forward. I was staggered to hear that, and I was embarrassed to hear it,” Bee said.
Neither FENZ or Grigg answered Selwyn Times’ question about whether the property manager’s response was acceptable.
Grigg said part of her role was to ensure the challenges faced by emergency services personnel in the district are conveyed to the people who make investment decisions for the Government.
“Selwyn is fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers across the district, and my aim is to ensure they receive the support they need to continue serving our communities.”
