ABC News (AU)
· collected 2026-10-10 · by Grace Marshall and Sarah Buchecker
The Mildura SES Unit is seeking $1 million from the state government to upgrade its outdated headquarters, which currently lacks basic amenities like private change rooms and showers. The unit's building controller, Elliot Matotek, describes the current facility as "embarrassing" when showing it to potential volunteers. The proposed redevelopment includes improved training facilities, climate-controlled offices, better amenities, and a wellness area for volunteers. Currently, Mildura SES responds to more than 1,100 incidents annually, making new facilities essential for its operations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
In short:
The Mildura SES Unit is lobbying the state government for $1 million to upgrade its outdated Mildura headquarters.
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Unit → lobby → headquarters
The proposed redevelopment would provide improved training facilities, climate-controlled offices, better amenities and a wellness area for volunteers.
What's next?
The Coalition has committed $1 million for the redevelopment if successful at the November election.
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Coalition → propose → election
The carpet is green, the walls are wood-panelled and there is a hole in the ceiling of the Mildura SES headquarters.
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walls → panel → headquarters
It is a building unit controller Elliot Matotek's grandfather helped build 43 years ago, and one he may not have expected to still be in service; a time capsule of a facility.
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he → build → facility
That was a time when jobs were run out of volunteers' homes and recovery equipment stored in their garages and back sheds.
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jobs → run → garages
But now, generations of volunteers later, the building is deteriorating.
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building → deteriorate → volunteers
"I'm sure when my grandfather built it back in the day, in 1983, it was probably very nice," Mr Matotek said of the headquarters in Victoria's north-west.
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Matotek → build → west
Mr Matotek is pushing for the state Labor government to match the Coalition's election promise to spend $1 million and upgrade the facilities.
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government → push → facilities
"It's almost embarrassing when we have to do open nights to try and recruit volunteers, and we show them the facility that we're in," he said.
"
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he → have → that
It doesn't really portray that we're professional."
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we → portray → ?
Currently, volunteers have to change in the two single toilets or in front of others.
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volunteers → have → others
"If you're contaminated, if we've done a search in the river and you need to have a shower, we don't have a shower here.
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we → contaminate → shower
You have to go home," Mr Matotek said.
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Matotek → have → ?
If they come back from a large deployment or a fatal accident, there is nowhere for the volunteers to decompress.
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volunteers → come → deployment
The only place to take a moment is two small couches between the vehicle bay and an open shared space.
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place → take → bay
A busy unit
Mildura SES responded to more than 1,100 incidents across the four financial years from 2022 to 2026, including 188 road crash rescues.
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SES → respond → rescues
Earlier this year, Mildura experienced its wettest March day on record, making the unit the busiest in the state with almost 200 requests for help over two days.
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unit → experience → days
SES volunteers from across the state travelled to Mildura to help, but the unit's small office space meant they had to move to a different building.
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they → travel → building
Designs for the SES building redevelopment have already been costed, and include new operational spaces, two private offices, a meeting room and training spaces.
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Designs → cost → spaces
Private change rooms, disability toilets and laundry facilities are also included.
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rooms → include → ?
Mr Matotek said he would not be surprised if, over the years, the unit had lost volunteers due to the poor facilities.
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unit → say → facilities
"It's quite embarrassing to have to rely on our other emergency service colleagues to use their facilities,"Mr Matotek said.
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Matotek → have → colleagues
Two years ago, in stage 1 of the redevelopment, the Mildura SES Unit built a new shed for its vehicles through a combination of government funding and community donations.
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Unit → build → funding
This week, Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke said he would continue monitoring "demand, volunteer capacity and facility needs", but would not promise funding for stage 2 of development.
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he → say → development
It came after the state opposition announced $1 million towards the project if it wins the election.
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it → come → election
Nationals member for Mildura Jade Benham said the unit deserved the money.
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unit → say → money
"Mildura is a regional emergency services hub, yet our SES headquarters does not even come close to reflecting that,"she said.
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headquarters → come → ?
Greens candidate for Mildura Katie Clements also backed the unit's call for funding and said it was wrong for regional communities to bear the cost of climate change through "increases in insurance premiums and emergency repair".
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communities → back → premiums
Ms Clements said coal and gas corporations need to pay their "fair share" toward the cost of emergency work in Victoria.
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corporations → say → Victoria
The Aporia