Glengowrie Ambulance Station

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the Minister for Health update the house on the progress being made in building the new ambulance station at Morphett Road, Morphettville?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:55): Indeed I can. I would like to thank the member for Morphett for his question and recognise his longstanding interest in our emergency services.

In June, the government announced a site for the brand-new western ambulance station to be built at Morphett Road, near the Morphettville Racecourse, a location that is, no doubt, familiar to the member for Morphett in his previous career as a vet. I am pleased to inform the house that the government has now taken possession of the land and that early preparatory site works are underway. I understand that the construction tender will be issued later this month and will close in late September. Construction is expected to start in November and the station is anticipated to be operational late next year.

The plans for the new station will include the provision of accommodation for operations staff, seven ambulances and two light-fleet vehicles. Importantly, the site will also provide for expansion to accommodate future growth in the area. The state-of-the-art station has direct access to Morphett Road, and proximity to Anzac Highway will lead to improved response times for the community. The central location will provide easy access to the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Flinders Medical Centre.

The $6.4 million Glengowrie station is one half of the government's $12 million investment in new stations, with a new northern station to be built next to Parafield Airport. Investment in new ambulance stations in the north and west of Adelaide comes on top of new stations opened late last year, in Oakden and Noarlunga, and the new Seaford station, currently under construction on Seaford Road.

I would be remiss not to mention that the brand-new MedSTAR base is fast taking shape at Adelaide Airport. When it is completed later this year, it will join with the new Royal Flying Doctor Service to form the new aeromedical precinct at the western part of the airport. Our state has some of the best ambulance clinicians in the world, and the government is dedicated to ensuring they have world-class equipment and the best facilities. This new station in Glengowrie is great news for residents of the western suburbs and is part of our commitment to deliver the type of quality care that South Australians deserve.