Susanna Freymark
Forty years ago, a handshake sealed a deal for the Mummulgum RFS shed.
Joe Gibbins owned the land, and he shook hands with Rodney Brown, who was a fire control officer working for the council, and they agreed that a fire shed could be built on the Gibbins land.
Kyogle Council general manager Marcus Schintler said since Joe’s passing it seems the handshake agreement no longer stands and the family wishes to sell the land, as is their prerogative.
Since their father’s death in January, the Gibbins family said they are trying to keep their father’s property together and to keep the next generation of Gibbins farming.
Part of that plan is to sell the small block on the Bruxner Highway at Mummulgum – the block with the RFS shed on it.
Jamie Gibbins called a community meeting at Mummulgum Hall on Saturday, October 10 to discuss what will happen to the RFS shed if the land is sold.
“The problem is, there is no lease and no paperwork,” he said.
About 30 people came to the meeting – one person asked why the Gibbins family don’t continue to donate the land so the Mummulgum RFS can continue to operate as it has for the past 40 years.
The Gibbins family own the land and pay rates, Kyogle Council owns the shed and according to Superintendent Daniel Ainsworth from the Rural Fire Service, even the fire truck is owned by the council until July 1 next year when NSW RFS will take over ownership of all its fire trucks across the state.
Jamie said the RFS shed should have been built on Crown Land, behind the Mummulgum Public Hall.
“We need to raise capital and the only block for sale is the fire shed block,” Jamie said.
“How do we keep the shed functioning and sell the block?”
Mummulgum Fire Brigade captain Barry Morgan said the fire shed was supposed to be built behind the hall but Joe didn’t want it there because he used it when running his cattle across the property – that’s why Joe offered the block where the shed now sits according to Mr Morgan.
Jamie said the family needed to settle the estate.
“The four of us (family members) want a win-win,” he said.
So what does a win-win look like?
Council changing the boundaries and buying the land where the shed site is one option.
The family said the entire block is worth about $150,000 although that figure is not yet confirmed by a valuation.
The cost of the council buying only the land where the fire shed sits and not the entire block has not yet been valued.
Jamie said the block needs to put up for sale by the end of December – but who wants to buy a block of land for a home with a fire shed on it?
Mr Morgan said the fire shed belongs to the council, not the RFS.
“It all goes back to the council,” he said.
Jamie said he wants to see the Mummulgum RFS continue and he wants to see more people move to Mummulgum.
“I want to keep the school going and keep the hall going,” he said.
Jamie owns the land next to the school and opposite the fire shed. He has plans to reopen the shop and cafe and have a place for caravans and visitors to stop in Mummulgum.
And Mummulgum needs its brigade. The closest other RFS sheds are at Mallanganee and Woodview.
Mr Ainsworth said the council owns everything in the fire shed at Mummulgum.
“We’re not in the position to negotiate anything. It’s a matter of council responsibility,” he said.
The RFS is funded through the Rural Fire Fighting Fund – the pool of money that pays for the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Mr Ainsworth said roughly 11% of the funds came from the NSW Government, 14% from Local Government and 75% from the Emergency Services Levy.
Mr Ainsworth manages that money across the region.
“Council own the infrastructure and assets,” he said.
“The RFS doesn’t purchase land. And I do my budget two years in advance.”
Kyogle Council is considering all options to ensure a fire shed remains in Mummulgum, and that it is achieved through a responsible use of ratepayers’ money, Mr Schintler said.
“Council will seek a valuation on the land and consider all alternatives.”