Ambulance station promise in budget

AN AMBULANCE station will be built in Cranbourne North after funding for a new crew was announced in the State Budget last week.
The station, expected to provide at least one new vehicle and between four and six new staff, will take pressure off existing crews in Cranbourne.
Metropolitan Ambulance Victoria (MAV) area manager Andrew Watson said the funding was good news for residents of both Cranbourne North and Narre Warren South.
“The paramedics we have in Casey and Cardinia are of the highest level and are committed to providing the best services,” Mr Watson said.
“The new resources will help to share the load around.
“By doing that, they will take the pressure off other crews, especially the Cranbourne crew, but also provide more assistance for those who need it.”
While the ambulances are constantly moved around, Mr Watson said it was always the case that when one area was busy and the crews are moved, the other area became busy as well.
“In Narre Warren South and Cranbourne North, there are huge residential estates going in,” he said.
At the moment, there are ambulance stations in Cranbourne, Berwick, Beaconsfield and Pakenham and a mobile intensive care unit in Hampton Park.
Funding will also be provided to the MAS to purchase ambulances and for the fit-out of the new services at Cranbourne North.
Mr Watson said the MAS had identified both Casey and Cardinia as the areas with the most growth, and therefore the areas where additional ambulance services were needed.
He said the Cranbourne North service would operate during peak periods to start off with and is expected to start operating in the next financial year.
Mr Watson said all stations were built for the long term and eventually the service would be upgraded to a 24-hour station.
Also under the $2.4 million funding, the Pakenham ambulance service will be upgraded to a 24-hour crew and Sebastopol in Ballarat will receive a new 24-hour ambulance station.