Bacchus March paramedics will soon have the safe and modern home base they need to respond to emergencies with work underway on a new state-of-the-art ambulance branch.
Minister for Ambulance Services Jenny Mikakos today joined Member for Melton Steve McGhie to kick off construction of the new $3 million Bacchus Marsh ambulance branch on Gisborne Road.
The current branch was built in the 1960s and the block of land was too narrow for redevelopment.
Now being built on a larger site, the spacious and cutting-edge new branch will feature a five-bay garage, four rest and recline rooms, training facilities, a fully equipped kitchen and improved security and staff car parking.
It will be home to more than 40 paramedics providing 24-hour coverage and offers plenty of space for the ambulance service to grow in the future.
The Andrews Labor Government has already fixed the ambulance crisis and delivered 450 paramedics as part of our $500 million ambulance package – the largest ever investment in Victoria's ambulance system.
Ambulances are arriving at the scene of code one emergencies faster than ever before. Latest quarterly performance data showed paramedics reached 83.9 per cent of Code One patients within 15 minutes – an improvement of 2.5 percentage points on the same quarter a year earlier.
The Moorabool Shire has seen improved response times with 73.7 per cent of ambulances now arriving within 15 minutes for Code One emergencies, up from 62.7 per cent a year earlier.
The average time for an ambulance to reach the scene of a Code One emergency in Moorabool over the same period has improved significantly from 14.24 minutes to 12.14 minutes.
The Labor Government is now building on this record investment with a further $109 million boost to back our paramedics and improve access to their life-saving services across Victoria.
The funding boost will recruit even more paramedics, build new stations and get 23 new vehicles on the road.
As stated by Minister for Ambulance Services Jenny Mikakos
"In a medical emergency, every second counts – that's why we're building a state-of-the-art ambulance branch for Bacchus Marsh which will mean even faster response times and more lives saved."
"Under the Liberals ambulance response times were the worst on the Australian mainland, but we fixed that by investing more than any government in Victoria's history in helping paramedics get to emergencies faster."
As stated by Member for Melton Steve McGhie
"As a former paramedic, I know how important high-quality facilities are to those we count on to save local lives."
"We're backing our paramedics to do what they do best and giving locals the peace of mind that world-class lifesaving care is on its way when they need it most."
