The ACT government will set aside $21 million to build a joint ambulance and fire station at Aranda in a bid to slash emergency response times and serve the needs of Canberra's booming northside population.
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The shared facility was previously announced as part of a major relocation strategy designed to improve emergency response times in the ACT.
However, the government is set to commit funds in Tuesday's budget to develop the Bindubi Street station over the next four years.
Police and Emergency Services Minister Simon Corbell said strategically locating emergency service stations throughout the capital would save more lives, property and the environment.
''Building this facility at Aranda means we can maintain and strengthen our response times for fire and ambulance call-outs,'' he said.
The emergency hub will house staff from the ACT Ambulance Service and ACT Fire and Rescue who will be relocated from the two separate stations at Belconnen Town Centre.
Mr Corbell said the facility was in addition to a joint station that had been built at Charnwood, west Belconnen, and a fire station that was being built at south Tuggeranong.
Future stages are dependent on funding and include new stations at Pialligo and Molonglo, as well as major upgrades to emergency services stations in Fyshwick, Kambah and Phillip.
The building's single-level design mirrors the $12 million state-of-the-art Charnwood facility that opened in October last year, although some design modifications have been made based on staff feedback.
Construction of the building, located opposite Canberra High School, is expected to begin this year and should be completed in mid-2016.
A development application for the building was approved in March following two rounds of community consultation.
