Communities in the Illawarra will benefit from a boost to frontline emergency care, with two new purpose-built ambulance stations confirmed for Warilla and Unanderra.
The sites for the new ambulance stations are:
- Unanderra Ambulance Station - 17-19 Waverley Drive, Unanderra
- Warilla Ambulance Station - near the Warilla Community Health Centre with direct access for emergency ambulances to Lake Entrance Road.
The two new Illawarra ambulance stations are being delivered as part of the NSW Government's $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program.
They will support local paramedics to provide the best emergency and mobile medical care now and into the future for the growing region.
NSW Ambulance identified the areas as high priority locations for a new ambulance station following a comprehensive service planning process using best practice modelling software to map Triple Zero (000) calls.
According to the latest Bureau of Health Information Healthcare Quarterly report for April to June 2025, the median ambulance response time for the highest priority Category 1 incidents for Wollongong and Kiama-Shellharbour were well within the state benchmark at 8 minutes - down from 9 minutes compared to the same quarter three years ago.
It comes as almost 50 per cent more T2 emergency patients are being treated on time in the Illawarra Shoalhaven compared to three years ago under the Liberals and Nationals.
Hospital ramping in the Illawarra Shoalhaven has also improved by almost 50 per cent over the same period compared to under the Liberals and Nationals.
New ambulance stations are located at places which optimise ambulance response performance and meet the needs of local community. Health Infrastructure and NSW Ambulance carried out a thorough evaluation of the sites to ensure they best meet the needs of our emergency ambulance operations and paramedic staff.
The next steps for the projects include design development and seeking planning approval for the new stations. Construction and operational timeframes will be determined as the projects progress. The community will be kept up to date through project planning and delivery.
The NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program will deliver 30 additional ambulance stations and supporting infrastructure across Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle, the Hunter and Illawarra region over the coming years, boosting frontline emergency ambulance care.
The NSW Government is recruiting 2,500 additional NSW Ambulance staff including 500 paramedics to rural and regional areas, to boost emergency and mobile healthcare for our metropolitan and regional communities.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"The new ambulance stations at Warilla and Unanderra will support local paramedics to provide the best emergency and mobile medical care well into the future.
"The confirmation of the station locations marks a significant milestone in delivering a vital health service for Warilla, Unanderra and surrounding suburbs.
"We know the community are anxious to have these stations, especially when you consider the poor track record of delivering health infrastructure under the previous Liberal Government.
"We're slowly turning around the long health wait times that emerged and persisted under the Liberals and Nationals.
"More ambulance stations, more paramedics, faster response times and better patient outcomes - it's as simple as that."
Quotes attributable to Member for Wollongong Paul Scully:
"The two new ambulance stations will provide a welcome boost to emergency care in the Illawarra.
"Delivering first-class workplaces for local paramedics and better health services for the community.
"These new stations alongside existing stations at Warrawong, Oak Flats, Kiama, Wollongong, Dapto and the recently opened Fairy Meadow Ambulance Station will be vital to support the Illawarra's growing community."
Quotes attributable to Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson:
"The new ambulance stations at Warilla and Unanderra will support local paramedics to provide the best emergency and mobile medical care well into the future.
"The confirmation of the station locations marks a significant milestone in delivering a vital health service for Warilla and surrounding suburbs."
Quotes attributable to HSU Secretary Gerard Hayes:
"Regional communities rely heavily on the hard-working paramedics who serve them. Those communities, and their workers, deserve these world-class stations.
"We welcome this kind of investment from the Minns Labor Government which will improve the critical service paramedics provide, while also ensuring those hard workers have safe and cutting-edge workplaces.
"Paramedics are essential to the health of communities, and this kind of infrastructure will help us retain and attract more of them where they are most needed."
