The Murrumbidgee and Southern NSW Zone has received a significant boost to frontline emergency care with an additional 33 paramedics starting work in the coming weeks.
This workforce expansion is part of the Minns Labor Government's commitment to deliver 500 additional paramedics to regional and rural areas, ensuring these communities continue to receive timely and high-quality emergency medical care.
These additional paramedics will be based out of Temora, Young and Wagga Wagga Ambulance Stations, providing emergency and mobile health care across the Murrumbidgee and Southern NSW Zone as part of NSW Ambulance's highly mobile workforce.
7 additional paramedics will be based out of Temora, 10 additional paramedics will be based out of Wagga Wagga and 16 additional paramedics will be based out of Young.
This workforce boost comes as part of the Strategic Workforce and Infrastructure Team (SWIFT) Program, which is delivering 2,500 additional NSW Ambulance staff, including 500 paramedics to rural and regional areas, and 30 new ambulance stations.
The new starters in the Murrumbidgee and Southern NSW Zone form part of an additional 125 paramedics set to begin working across regional NSW within the next few months. These 125 paramedics are the second group to join NSW Ambulance as part of the regional 500, with 125 paramedics starting work in regional NSW last year.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:
"We promised the people of regional, rural and remote NSW we'd deliver them 500 new paramedics, and I am really proud that the second cohort is about to hit the road and take up new roles in the bush.
"These highly skilled paramedics will help drive better health outcomes for patients and their families, ensuring regional communities receive the same high-quality care as metropolitan areas.
"We are committed to investing in our frontline healthcare workforce to support our paramedics and provide better emergency services to the people of NSW."
Quotes attributable to Government Spokesperson for Cootamundra, Stephen Lawrence, MLC:
"By boosting the workforce, and delivering on the Government's promise to regional communities these additional paramedics mean the communities of Young and Temora will continue to receive the very best health care when and where they need it most.
"This is a very welcome announcement which will make a major difference to these communities."
Quotes attributable to Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr:
"This is a welcome boost to critical frontline ambulance services that will help to deliver better care to local people when it is most needed.
"An additional ten paramedics based in Wagga will not only improve service delivery in the city but will also ease pressures on outlying towns by reducing the need to allocate staff to cover shortages within Wagga.
"While more will be needed to address health workforce shortages in our region, I congratulate the government for delivering on its promise to increase urgently-needed paramedic resources to regional areas."
Quotes attributable to NSW Ambulance Chief Executive, Dr Dominic Morgan:
"This boost to our workforce will help our clinicians deliver better health outcomes for patients, while also providing more support to our existing NSW Ambulance staff in regional NSW.
"As demand for our services continues to grow, we remain committed to providing excellence in care to our patients now and into the future.
