Mernda’s first ambulance branch is almost complete and will soon deliver even faster response times to life-threatening local emergencies.
Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy today inspected the $4.1 million state-of-the-art ambulance branch in Mernda that will meet rising demand from one of the nation’s fastest growing communities.
The spacious and cutting edge new facility has four ambulance bays, training facility, rest and recline rooms, a fully-fitted kitchen and staff car parking.
There is also plenty of space for the ambulance service to grow into the future, as the community grows.
The 24-hour ambulance branch will be home to the Mernda crew of 16 paramedics. Construction is ahead of schedule and paramedics are due to move in later this year.
With a modern home base located in the heart of the town for the first time, response times will improve and more lives will be saved as people in Mernda and nearby suburbs get the emergency care they need, sooner.
Under the Liberals, Victoria’s ambulance system was plunged into crisis, as their war with paramedics led to the worst response times on the Australian mainland.
The Labor Government has fixed the Liberals’ mess and is delivering the largest funding boost for ambulance services in Victoria’s history. Our $500 million plan to cut response times is employing 450 more paramedics, building more stations and buying new vehicles across the state.
Thanks to our reforms of the system and record investment, 83.8 per cent of all Code One urgent ambulances are arriving within 15 minutes – the best quarterly result in Ambulance Victoria’s history.
In the City of Whittlesea, 81.9 per cent of ambulances are now arriving within 15 minutes for Code One emergencies, up from 75.5 per cent a year earlier, while the average time for an ambulance to reach the scene of a Code One has improved from 12.47 minutes to 11.27 minutes.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy
“We are investing more than any Government in Victoria’s history to improve ambulance response times, here in Mernda and across the state.”
“Mernda paramedics will soon have the safe and modern home base they need to respond faster and save lives.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Yan Yean Danielle Green
“I know that locals have been looking forward to the opening of Mernda’s first ever ambulance branch so they can get the fastest possible response when an emergency strikes.”
“Mernda families can rest assured that with a branch just around the corner, life-saving paramedics will be on the scene sooner in a critical medical emergency.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020