Does the Coalition's nuclear dream come with a $500M firefighting price tag?
According to the United Firefighters Union Australia, it could cost even more
Archie Milligan
April 29, 2025
đźš’ Why it matters:
The Coalition’s nuclear plan doesn’t just come with construction and energy costs — it also brings a massive, mostly unspoken price tag for emergency services, especially firefighting, according to the United Firefighters Union.
đź“ś The guidelines:
The International Atomic Energy Agency — of which Australia is a member — requires two fire stations for each nuclear site: one onsite, and a second offsite.
With seven reactors planned, that’s 14 fire stations needed nationwide
đź’µ The price tag:
The United Firefighters Union estimates the cost to build each station at $27 million, based on figures from a recent ACT fire and ambulance station.
Total estimated construction cost: $379 million — before land acquisition.
Outfitting the stations with trucks and equipment would add another $67 million.
👨‍🚒 The workforce:
Staffing the 14 stations would require 476 firefighters, based on international standards.
Annual wages for those firefighters? Around $80 million.
🧠The experience gap:
United Firefighters Union Australia National Secretary Greg McConville warns that it would take seven years to fully train firefighters to the standard needed for nuclear emergencies.
“If you lose them, it would take another seven years to replace them. That’s a major capability loss,” McConville said.
🏛️ Who pays?:
The union argues these new costs — including building stations, staffing, training, maintenance, health screening — could be shifted onto state governments, rather than being federally funded.
đź’§ Bonus costs:
Fire protection at nuclear waste storage sites.
Water resources needed in case of a blaze.
Ongoing station and equipment maintenance.
Development of a specialised training curriculum for nuclear emergency response.
The bottom line:
The Coalition’s nuclear plan could require hundreds of millions more in hidden emergency services costs — and it’s not clear yet who will pick up the tab.