Jeremy Rockliff,Premier
Minister for Health
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is boosting our ambulance services in Sorell with the recruitment of an additional four paramedics, delivering a career station with fully qualified paramedic crews on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In the last 12 months, the Sorell Ambulance Station has experienced an increased demand responding to 1,187 incidents in the local area and, with the growing population of Sorell and the surrounding areas, the demands on the local ambulance resources are predicted to increase.
This investment, to be funded in the 2022-23 Budget, will accommodate the expected increase in demand and deliver four new additional full-time paramedics for the Sorell region, ensuring the community has the health services it needs for the future.
In addition to the eight newly announced positions located between Huonville and Sorell, we will also be recruiting three more full-time paramedics to assist in providing leave coverage across these Stations and others such as Kingston and Dodges Ferry, where necessary.
This is yet another important milestone in our commitment to Tasmania's health system that has delivered more funding, more staffing and more health services than any previous government.
At the last election we committed to an additional 48 paramedics across the State, with 44 of these now filled, and the remainder of the positions being actively recruited.
We have also provided $9 million to upgrade our Ambulance fleet and deliver contemporary equipment our paramedics need, which will deliver 30 new ambulance vehicles in this financial year alone. These new vehicles will be equipped with best-practice systems and the build and fit-out will be completed right here in Tasmania.
I also want to acknowledge and thank the hardworking volunteer ambulance officers in Sorell who support their local community.
With this change, Ambulance Tasmania will continue its work with our dedicated volunteers to ensure they have an important and ongoing role within our community.
Our Government will continue to deliver on our strong Plan to improve health facilities across the State, including in our regional areas to ensure Tasmanians receive the right care at the right place at the right time.
