Liberal candidate for Wakehurst, Toby Williams, has welcomed a major boost to frontline emergency care for residents on the Northern Beaches, with a new ambulance station set to be built near Dee Why.
"A new ambulance station in Dee Why will significantly boost access to frontline health care. It is a gamechanger for our community. As the brother of a paramedic, I have enormous admiration for the amazing work paramedics do in our community," Mr Williams said.
"A new station in Dee Why will ensure our paramedics have the state of the art infrastructure they deserve, while improving access to care for local residents. This crucial investment is only possible because of the Perrottet Liberal Government's strong financial record and plan to keep NSW moving forward".
Minister for Health and Member for Wakehurst Brad Hazzard said the announcement forms part of a record $1.76 billion NSW Government investment which will transform NSW Ambulance services over the next four years with more than 2,000 extra staff, including 1,858 paramedics, and 30 new ambulance stations across NSW.
"Ambulance services are experiencing unprecedented demand and this new station will not only keep us ahead of the curve but provide our hardworking paramedics with first-class facilities as they assist communities in their time of need," Mr Hazzard said.
"The NSW Government is investing in ambulance stations right across the state to ensure communities continue to receive emergency care when they need it, no matter where they live."
Member for Manly James Griffin welcomed the news which he says will ensure that the local community has improved access to emergency care when and where they need it most.
"Not only will this new ambulance station boost local health services and bring more jobs to the local area, it will also provide a better working environment for our paramedics who are doing their utmost to serve our community," Mr Griffin said.
"The new station will feature internal parking for emergency ambulance vehicles, vehicle wash facilities, multipurpose spaces to support staff education and rest, logistics and storage spaces, an office area for administration as well as staff amenities."
NSW Ambulance identifies suitable locations to improve ambulance response times for patients using best practice modelling software that maps Triple Zero call demands
Mr Griffin said the exact location for the new ambulance station at Dee Why will be determined once further planning is completed which includes working with key stakeholders to identify a suitable site.
"We will shortly commence a process to identify potential sites for the new ambulance station. This process will ensure we best meet the needs of the Northern Beaches community and our emergency staff."
The NSW Government is committed to increasing the capacity of NSW Ambulance. In total, more than $1 billion is being invested across three major NSW Ambulance infrastructure programs, with more than 100 projects announced since 2014.
The NSW Government's $1 billion investment in NSW Ambulance infrastructure includes:
- Sydney Ambulance Metropolitan Infrastructure Strategy ($184 million) – 19 projects - 18 projects completed to date with one due for completion late 2023. Program began 2014
- NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program ($615.5 million) 30 projects - 8 in early planning. Program announced in 2022-23 State Budget.
- RAIR program Stage 1 & 2 ($232 million) – 54 projects - 39 complete, 15 underway. Program began 2015.
The new ambulance station at Dee Why is being delivered as part of the $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure program, and is additional to local health investments including the Australian-first $19.5 million Manly Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice completed in December and the $600 million Northern Beaches Hospital opened in late 2018.
