Public Works Committee: Northern Ambulance Station

Ms VLAHOS (Taylor) (11:48): On behalf of the member for Colton, I move:

That the 576^th report of the committee, entitled Northern Ambulance Station, be noted.

The South Australian Ambulance Service proposes to build a new single-storey purpose-built ambulance station on a greenfield site in northern metropolitan Adelaide at a cost of $5.388 million exclusive of GST. It will be located on Lockheed Lane at Parafield Airport with easy vehicle access to Kings Road, adjacent to the electorates of Ramsay and Taylor. The land will be leased from Adelaide Airport Limited for an initial 10-year period with an option for a further 10-year lease. The location is ideally suited to provide services to the northern Adelaide region and is well positioned to provide synergy with the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network and the Lyell McEwin and Modbury hospitals.

The project construction incorporates four key components: undercover vehicle parking for 14 ambulances and four solo response cars; office space containing a mix of workstations, hot desks and offices located around the open plan; staff rest, wet and meals area, which includes 10 on-site rest areas for staff on night rosters, locker rooms, ambulance crew amenities, kitchen facilities and on-site parking; and a large training room to cater for regional training where staff will come together from other ambulance stations nearby. The site allows for further expansion, building in needs for the future including increased garaging. The construction of the new ambulance station is due to commence this November and be completed by August next year.

The purpose-designed contemporary facility will meet the current quality standards and statutory requirements. It will be streamlined to ensure that the layout supports a reduction in emergency response times and in turnaround times required for restocking and cleaning vehicles. The facility will also provide staff with the equipment and infrastructure necessary to deliver effective service as well as allowing for future growth and demands in the northern metropolitan area, which continues to grow. Given this, and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to the parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr SNELLING (Playford) (11:51): I support this report. In the time I was the minister for health, the initiative was to build this ambulance station. It replaces an old station at Salisbury South, the construction of which I think would date back to the 1980s. I had an opportunity to spend time on an overnight shift with an ambulance crew going out of the Salisbury South station. While it is fair to say that they did not spend an enormous amount of time in the station—they were mainly on the road—it is nonetheless a station that does not really provide modern facilities for the comfort of crew. This new station is better located to serve the people of the northern suburbs and to better look after the crew who work from that station. I heartily endorse the report.

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (11:52): As a relatively new member of the Public Works Committee, I was not sitting on the committee when they undertook this particular report but, on reading the report that has been tabled in the parliament today, the opposition members of the committee fully support some public works that certainly appear to tick all the boxes.

Ms VLAHOS (Taylor) (11:53): I thank the members for their comments and I certainly agree that many members in the northern area will value this unique station as it provides services into the future.

Motion carried.