New Fire Observation Platform for Sunny Corner
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Forestry Corporation has completed a $30,000 upgrade of its Sunny Corner fire tower just in time for the coming fire season.
Forestry Corporation operations manager, John Whittall, said the refurbishment involved replacing the old cabin from the top of the tower, removing and regalvanising all the ladders and landings and reconstructing the upper platform.
The work involved the use of two cranes, one of which was a 50-tonne machine. The new cabin was built at Forestry Corporation’s workshop in Toronto and transported to Sunny Corner.
Mr Whittall said the steel tower has served the Australian community well.
“It was originally located at a Sydney airbase during World War II, before Forestry Corporation moved it to Sunny Corner in 1963,” he said.
“We have had engineers look at it and certify that it is suitable to continue being used for a long time to come.”
The Sunny Corner tower is part of a network of Forestry Corporation fire towers located throughout the central tablelands at places such as Mount Canobolas , Burraga, Shooters Hill, Mt Bindo, Essington and Bugs Ridge near Blayney.
“The fire season looks to be a bit later than what we have come to expect during the past few years, but it still has the potential to be difficult on the central tablelands, if things dry out in the new year,” Mr Whittall said .
“We count on our fire towers as an early warning system if a fire breaks out anywhere in a State forest or beyond,” he said.
“Six fire tower operators man the towers seven days a week during periods of high fire danger.
“Any new fires are detected, and first-response firefighters are able to be quickly directed to their location, before the fires get out of hand.”
Mr Whittall said the region’s longest serving tower operator, Miss Anne Coleman, operated the Sunny Corner fire tower.
“Anne can spend up to 11 hours a day sitting in the little cabin during the hottest part of the year, and she certainly has spent a lot of hours sitting in the old cabin, and picked up a lot of fires during the nine years she has been working with us,” Mr Whittall said.
“I’m sure Anne will appreciate the refurbishment as much as anyone.”
Media contact: John Whittall on (02) 6331 2044.
Photo opportunity for media of the cabin being placed on the tower on Wednesday 24 November at around 12 noon.