The Andrews Labor Government will boost ambulance resources in Ararat and St Arnaud, giving paramedics the facilities and support they need to quickly respond to local emergencies.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy today joined paramedics in Ararat to announce that Ararat will receive a new peak period unit with seven full-time equivalent paramedics and a new ambulance vehicle.
To house these additional paramedics, the Labor Government will fund capital works to upgrade the existing branch in Ararat, giving paramedics modern and safer facilities they deserve and room to grow.
The St Arnaud branch will also be rebuilt. The current St Arnaud branch was built in 1969 and lacks adequate facilities for a modern ambulance service.
This branch will be replaced by a state-of-the-art facility that has spacious and functional garages for vehicles, and modern facilities for paramedics, including lounge areas, a kitchen, training rooms and amenities.
The announcement is part of a record $526 million investment over five years to employ 450 more paramedics, buy new vehicles and build new branches across the state.
This is the largest ever funding boost for Victoria’s ambulance services in a bold new plan to improve ambulance response times.
Since coming to Government, we’ve been working hard every day to rebuild our ambulance system after four years of crisis and neglect under the Liberals.
Now, after two years of investing in and reforming our ambulance system, more ambulances are arriving at emergencies sooner with Code 1 average response times the quickest they have been in five years.
The most recent annual performance data shows that ambulances are now arriving at 76.6 per cent of Code 1 incidents within 15 minutes, compared to a record low of 73 per cent at the height of the Liberals’ crisis.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“We’re putting people first, with the biggest ever investment in Victoria’s history to cut ambulance response times even further and save more lives.”
“These additional resources and branch upgrades in Ararat and St Arnaud will make a huge difference to our hardworking and dedicated paramedics, allowing them to do what they do best, which is saving lives.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy
“Response times are the best they have been in five years, but there’s still more work to do. Now we have the system working better, it’s time to invest in new branches and paramedics on the road.”
“In a medical emergency every second saves lives. That’s why we’re ensuring people in Ararat and St Arnaud get the right emergency care, quickly, when they need it.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020