ICR has won the tender to manufacture and supply 280 new Category 9 firefighting units for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) over the next four years.

Bathurst MP Paul Toole said the contract was included in $11 million upgrade of firefighting equipment for the NPWS which includes two new choppers and the upgrade of 280 trucks.

“The upgrade will enhance the NPWS’s capability to prevent, prepare for and respond to bushfires,” Mr Toole said.

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“It will be staged over several years to ensure the NPWS maintains its capacity to response to wildfires and perform hazard reduction activities.

“The Category 9 light fire appliances are an essential tool for fire crews, enabling them to access fires in some of the most rugged and remote areas of the state.”

Mr Toole said the appliances needed upgrading to ensure compliance with engineering and safety standards.

ICR Engineering director Ian Reeks said winning the contract showed that businesses in regional areas such as Blayney could be competitive.

“One of our advantages is that we are located in a central location in NSW which makes it better for delivering the finished product to all parts of the state,” he said.

“The fire units we will be making need about 500 parts to assemble here and they are being sourced locally, from across NSW and from suppliers across Australia.

“We’ve also had to purchase a very high-tech routing machine and we’re happy to say that’s coming from Newcastle.”

Mr Reeks said the fire unit was specially designed to fit onto the back of the Toyota Landcruiser vehicle used by the NPWS.

ICR has been manufacturing and fitting their trays to vehicles for the NPWS for the past 32 years.