Kaurna Electorate Ambulance Stations

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:41): My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, can you update the house on the work to provide for new ambulance stations in Seaford and Noarlunga?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:41): Thank you very much to the member for Kaurna for this question. I think we could land on the aircraft carrier with a big sign up saying 'Victory!' Can I put on the record my thanks for the strong support on behalf of the community in Seaford to the member for Kaurna for fighting for the construction of a much-needed ambulance station.

The government committed in the last election to build three new ambulance stations at Oakden, Noarlunga and Seaford. I am pleased to report both Oakden and Noarlunga are now under construction. So far, it has been difficult to locate a site for the Seaford community ambulance station. In September last year, the government put forward a proposal to the City of Onkaparinga to build the station on vacant land next to the Seaford CFS. Alas, the proposal was rejected by those working officials from the Onkaparinga council who stated that the ambulance station didn't fit within their 20-year vision for the site.

At the time, I called upon the elected members of the council to intervene and to reverse the decision, but sadly they did not. After evaluating and ultimately dismissing several alternative locations put forward by the council, SA Health and the SA Ambulance Service investigated the possibility of co-locating on the Seaford CFS site. This option needed extensive consultation with the local CFS brigade to ensure they were satisfied it wouldn't impact upon their critical work. The consultation did take time, but I believe it was well worth it, as I have been told that last week the CFS brigade met and approved to proceed with a joint site sharing proposal.

As part of the project, SA Health will deliver some added benefits for the shared site by way of renewed car parking areas and increased lighting and security, including CCTV, for crew and brigade safety. This is an excellent result for the community. It means we can now get on with the job of building the station, with SA Health proceeding to formal design and approval stages.

I would like to put on the record my thanks to the CFS Seaford volunteers for their time and their patience over the past few months. SA Health, SA Ambulance Service and the CFS have worked very hard to deliver this outcome. I thank the member for Kaurna for his tireless campaigning to get to this point.

I would like to update the house on the new Noarlunga ambulance station. Construction is underway on the new station located on Alexander Kelly Drive. The site's topsoil has been stripped and prepared for the ground floor slab to be poured later this month. The station will have the capacity for more support staff and paramedics, and it delivers on the government's pre-election commitment, with extra funding being provided through Transforming Health.

Construction of this station is expected to create around 20 jobs and is expected to be due for completion by later this year. The southern metropolitan area is growing both in population and in size. The government's investment in new stations at Noarlunga and Seaford will ensure that the community has a well resourced ambulance service for many years to come.