Firefighters say they won’t be able to access parts of the $15 billion Metro Tunnel if there are emergencies due to outdated underground breathing equipment.
The state’s firefighting union says a formal warning was issued a year ago that specialist “long duration” oxygen tanks would soon reach the end of their shelf life and were no longer available for reorder.
The equipment provides air for up to four hours, compared to just over half an hour for regular mask systems, and can be used during disasters in mines or deep tunnels.
But Fire Rescue Victoria has assured the community it will be safe to open the Metro project this year because it has been designed with emergency access and response in mind — including an extensive network of cross-passages.
A 2024 report on long duration breathing apparatus, obtained by the Herald Sun, shows that there is “a minimum six-month gap” in ordering and rolling out new masks and tanks – and that carbon cylinders in current models would expire in September of this year.
The Allan Government has promised to open the tunnel this year, raising questions about whether the specialist equipment would be available in the first months of train operations.
Vice-president of the United Firefighters Union (UFU), David Black, said delays in ordering the new equipment was a disgrace.
“We are now in a situation where the tunnel will be opening and we have no way to get to fires in parts of it,” he said.
