Wednesday, 26 September, 2018

Patients in Traralgon will get the urgent care they need faster and paramedics now have the safe, modern base they deserve thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy today joined hard-working paramedics to open the cutting-edge Traralgon Ambulance Station on Princes Street.

The new branch will replace the small Campbell Street facility that’s housed paramedics for more than 30 years. They will now have modern facilities, and room to grow.

The new Traralgon Ambulance Station features a spacious garage for the latest ambulance vehicles, and safe and modern facilities for paramedics, complete with lounge areas, a training room and a kitchen.

The new station becomes home to about 26 paramedics, who provide round-the-clock care to the community.

Ms Hennessy also announced the Labor Government is getting on with the job of building a new ambulance station in Moe, with land secured on Narracan Drive and planning and design work under way.

The new station will feature state-of-the-art facilities for dedicated local paramedics and will be complete in 2019.

The Narracan Drive location has been strategically chosen after careful consideration to ensure local patients get the urgent care when they need it, faster.

Ms Hennessy is in Gippsland opening new stations at Sale and Traralgon, while Orbost’s new station also opened this year. It features a training room, lounge areas for paramedics and a kitchen.

The Liberals plunged Victoria’s ambulance system into crisis as they went to war with paramedics, prompting response times to become the worst on the mainland. The Labor Government has fixed the Liberals’ mess.

The Labor Government’s $500 million plan to cut response times includes hiring 450 more paramedics, building more stations all over Victoria and putting the latest, cutting-edge vehicles out on the road.

The latest response times data shows the Labor Government’s investments are paying off, with 80.8 per cent of ambulances now arriving within 15 minutes for Code One emergencies – up from 77.8 per cent a year prior.

You can’t trust the Liberals when it comes to health. They cut a billion dollars from health when they were last in power, and they’ll do it again if they get the chance.

Quote attributable to Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy

“Whether it’s opening Traralgon Ambulance Station or building a new branch at Moe, we’re backing Gippsland’s paramedics to do what they do best – save lives when an emergency strikes.”

Quote attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing

“We’re giving our paramedics the facilities they deserve – and with some of the fastest ambulance response times on record, we’re also investing in the best ambulance services for Gippslanders now and into the future.”