13th March, 2018

Paramedics and Ambulance Community Officers in Orbost will soon have the facilities they need to quickly respond to local medical emergencies with a new world-class ambulance branch.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing this week visited the site of the new $1.2 million ambulance branch on the corner of Stanley and Tennyson Street, Orbost.

The Orbost team presently works out of a facility on the grounds of the Orbost Hospital, where it has been based since the late 1990s – but can no longer accommodate the growing team.

Two permanent paramedics and a dedicated team of 15 local Ambulance Community Officers, supported by relieving paramedics, provide around-the-clock coverage for Orbost and surrounding areas.

The new building is being built on the grounds of the original branch which was constructed in the late 1930s. It will feature three ambulance bays, rest and recline facilities, a full training room, secure parking and modern amenities.

The Andrews Labor Government is rebuilding Victoria’s ambulance system after four years of neglect under the former Liberal Government to ensure all community members get the care they need in a critical emergency.

Our $500 million plan will improve ambulance response times, employ 450 more paramedics, buy new vehicles and build more stations across the state.

This investment, along with a further $26.5 million in the Victorian Budget 2017/18, is the largest ever investment in Victoria’s ambulance services.

As a result of the Government’s ongoing investment into and reform of the ambulance system, more and more ambulances are arriving at emergencies sooner.

Code 1 ambulance response times across Victoria hit 81 per cent in the last quarter – an improvement of six per cent on the same period last year and the best June quarter in eight years.

In the Shire of East Gippsland, ambulance response times are improving, with the average response time for an ambulance to reach the scene of a Code One emergency has improved from this time last year from 16:29 minutes to 15:45 minutes.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing:

“The team at Orbost has well and truly outgrown its office, storage area and vehicle bay and this bright, modern and spacious branch will better support our dedicated paramedics, and also encourage others to consider a career in emergency care.”

“Orbost’s families and the growing numbers of visitors to East Gippsland will soon have peace of mind that local paramedics are equipped with facilities that reflect the world-class standard of treatment and care they provide.”