Adelaide Hills Ambulance Services

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel) (16:09): I am deeply concerned that ambulance services in the Hills are unsafe. I am informed that there has been a single ambulance in Mount Barker since 1992 or certainly from the early nineties. From that date until today, there has been massive population growth in the Hills. Frequently, the Mount Barker ambulance is called away from Mount Barker or ramped, as is the Woodside ambulance, with the result that Woodside is effectively without an ambulance and so is Mount Barker unless effective cover is provided. Of course we need more ambulance services in the Hills. Neither major party has provided additional ambulances, and I call on both parties to bring forward a plan for massive population growth in the Hills.

My decision to become an Independent was partly informed by the desperate need in my community for more ambulance resources. This is no criticism of the extraordinary commitment local ambulance officers make to my community. They are working their guts out. They rely on the government to support them. I refer to and will continue to refer to the precedent set by Speaker Atkinson, which ensures that I can make a contribution on the floor, contrary to assertions made by others.