After years of delays, the new $25 million Palmerston Regional fire station has finally opened that promises to enhance emergency responses to the city and rural area.

The emergency services complex was initially scheduled to be finished and operational by June 2021, but early works did not start until March of that year – something the government did not mention that in its recent announcement, nor has ever explained.

The NT Government said that with post-construction fit-outs and installations finally completed, the complex, located on Howard Springs Road, is now fully operational and comes with space for larger equipment, response vehicles and boats; an emergency response cache, increased dimensions for more crew numbers for risky fire danger days, operation and meeting rooms, a training area, a breathing apparatus maintenance and service room, a workshop, and communications tower.

It will also be home to station firefighters and the Palmerston NT Emergency Services Volunteers Unit to give Palmerston and nearby areas a dedicated facility.

Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler said more than 200 local jobs were supported during the construction of this facility by local company C&R Constructions, although the government did not provide any evidence to support that claim.

“This facility will serve residents of Palmerston and the rural area well into the future as the region grows,” Ms Lawler said.

In 2019, the government claimed the new station would create at least 180 “direct and indirect” jobs.

However, no explanation was ever provided for why the construction of the station was delayed. The previous Gunner government stated ahead of the 2020 general election that the station would be completed by the end of last year when they awarded the contract to C&R Constructions more than two years ago.

“The co-location of two important emergency response services in Palmerston will improve the response in times of need,” Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services Kate Worden said on Tuesday. “The centre also provides important training spaces, and will accommodate more firefighting crews during extreme fire danger days.”