Construction of the new Rural Fire Service Control Centre at East Maitland is ahead of schedule.

The new facility will be the headquarters for 47 brigades across the Maitland, Port Stephens, Dungog and Cessnock council areas.

The $4 million development will now be open by September, with 26 staff and two thousand volunteers using the building.

RFS Superintendent Jason McKellar says Maitland is the ideal place to develop services in the lower Hunter as the geographic centre of the zone.