A NEW storage facility supporting the SES has been completed in Mornington to increase volunteer emergency response capability on the Mornington Peninsula.
The facility, launched last week, was built on vacant land on Racecourse Rd where Hastings SES unit has stationed a response vehicle since 2023 to help meet growing emergency demand across the Mornington area.
The new facility was made possible thanks to the Mornington Peninsula Shire committing a local area community capital infrastructure grant of more than $46,000 to support the project.
It will provide secure storage for the response vehicle, a storm response trailer and critical emergency equipment, while also giving volunteers a sheltered space for equipment maintenance and vehicle servicing.
Mornington has never had a dedicated SES unit, meaning Hastings and Sorrento SES have been primary response units for the Mornington Peninsula, while Sorrento and Frankston units support road crash rescue operations.
Callout numbers have continued to climb. In 2025, the Hastings unit, including the Mornington-based support vehicle, responded to more than 500 incidents. In the first two months of this year alone, volunteers have attended more than 120 incidents, many of them in Mornington and Mount Martha.
Hastings SES section leader Silvana Hobley said the decision to position a vehicle in Mornington had significantly improved response capability in the area.
“This strategic placement has halved response times to incidents in Mornington and Mount Martha, which together account for approximately 50 per cent of all calls for assistance received by the Hastings unit,” she said.
SES volunteers across the peninsula respond to a wide range of emergencies including fallen trees, storm damage and flooding affecting homes and businesses, as well as major incidents such as landslides.
“Community demand for VICSES assistance across the Mornington Peninsula continues to rise, including responses to hazardous fallen trees, storm damage and flooding impacting homes and business owners, landslides such as the McCrae landslide, and support to emergency service operators such as Victoria Police, CFA and Ambulance Victoria,” Hobley said.
The SES also acknowledged contractors McKechnie and Gillespie for supplying electrical connections, as well as Hastings volunteers who prepared the site and helped connect power.
“VICSES Hastings are grateful to the various teams across Mornington Peninsula Shire council who have assisted in expediting the necessary permits and documentation to ensure timely delivery of this project,” Hobley said.
Hastings SES controller Lyn MacLeod said the organisation was committed to adapting to the community’s changing needs.
“It is imperative that we, as a volunteer emergency service, continue to evolve to meet the needs of our community,” she said.
“There has been a growing need for a VICSES presence on the eastern side of the Mornington Peninsula. We will work with our neighbouring emergency service operators to ensure we continue to service the residents of the Mornington Peninsula Shire to meet the dynamic needs of our community.”
Meanwhile, an Emergency Services Open Day will be held at Fred Smith Reserve, 2 Marine Parade, Hastings on Sunday 19 April from 10am-2pm.
First published in the Mornington News – 17 March 2026