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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-09-28 Daily Xml
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Public Works Committee: New Woodville Ambulance Station

Mr BROWN (Florey) (11:53): I move:

That the 32nd report of the committee, entitled New Woodville Ambulance Station, be noted.

The Department for Health and Wellbeing (SA Health) proposes to establish a new Woodville ambulance station, providing significant expansion of service delivery capacity and capabilities for the South Australian Ambulance Service (SAAS). This project will aid in managing emergency responses across metropolitan Adelaide and surrounding regions.

The new station forms part of the state government's 2022 election commitment to improve the infrastructure, increase staffing and provide additional resources for SAAS. SAAS is the state's provider of emergency ambulance transport, clinical care and patient transport services. It operates 119 ambulance stations across South Australia and the MedSTAR emergency medical retrieval service at Adelaide Airport. It will provide alignment to the SA Health strategic plan by strengthening primary health care, and enhancing hospital care, by providing more services close to where people live, ensuring:

patient-centric emergency services that are designed around community needs;

SAAS emergency preparedness and response capacity is commensurate with state and national emergency management arrangements; and

ambulance services evolve in line with the health system.

The entire program of works proposed will deliver four new and four rebuilt ambulance stations, 10 upgraded ambulance stations, the purchase of 36 new vehicles and the recruitment of 350 additional staff. The total investing budget for the project is $7.8 million, with the total budget to deliver the scope of the election commitment at $70 million. Construction is scheduled to commence later this year, with practical completion and commissioning in September 2024.

The new station will allow SAAS to improve its ambulance coverage and response in metropolitan and regional centres in South Australia and more directly in the Woodville and Arndale areas. The station will act as a training facility and house 16 paramedics, garage three ambulances and include provision for two light vehicles.

There has been continued demand for SAAS services in South Australia over the last few years. This new station will address the increased demand in the Woodville area and will complement the existing stations in Fulham Gardens and Brooklyn Park. The ambulance station will be located on Hanson Road, Woodville Gardens.

After detailed investigation and consultation with SAAS and Renewal SA, the site on Hanson Road was identified as a preferred and suitable location, as the current service demands cannot be met by maintaining the stations in Fulham Gardens and Brooklyn Park. These current stations are a significant distance from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and there was an identified need for increased and more responsive service delivery in the Arndale area. The new Woodville ambulance station will address the outlined challenges in SAAS response through the improvement of service delivery.

The station design has been strongly influenced by the site configuration and the approach of ambulance vehicles utilising the adjacent road network. Ambulances will depart the site directly left onto Hanson Road and will have the ability to turn right via traffic management signalling and a designated gap in the median strip. The driveway and exit points have been designed to promote safe and quick traversing out of the site for operations, and the main garage will allow for a drive-through function, to allow ambulances to enter and exit the building without restriction

Plans submitted by SA Health call for the construction of a new Woodville ambulance station to include garage space for three ambulance vehicles; a training room with seating for 20 persons; a simulation room; office spaces; a kitchen/dining room; a crew rest room; four personal work rest break rooms for staff; staff and visitor car parking spaces, including one accessible space; and covered light fleet parking for two vehicles.

The expected outcomes of the project include improved ambulance response coverage for consumers in the western suburbs, increased capacity for additional crews and vehicles to meet increasing demand, enhanced consumer care, additional/expanded SAAS crew training facilities, and the opportunity for expansion to meet future growth.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport has confirmed that a general building contractor will be appointed under a design and construct form of contract. The contract will be executed in two main stages, with stage 1 addressing and supporting design and the undertaking of early works and stage 2 constructing the main works.

SA Health asserts that the delivery of the project will follow the best principles for project procurement and management, as advocated by the state government and construction industry authorities. To achieve this, extensive consultation, management of a project program, establishment of a cost plan and the implementation of risk management strategies will be adhered to.

Ecologically sustainable development strategies have been incorporated into the design, construction and operation of the new ambulance station. SA Health states that the project team has established formal processes to ensure that sustainable development principles are comprehensively incorporated during all phases of the project life cycle.

To enable successful delivery of these aspirations, an independent consultant will be appointed by SA Health. Design measures to support increased adaptability and changes of use with minimal impact during the building life have been incorporated and include flexible engineering spaces, provisions for future electric vehicle charging stations and options for full or partial solar input.

SA Health states that engagement and clinical consultation has been a key theme throughout the feasibility and concept planning and will continue with various stakeholders throughout the final stages of the design. Stakeholders include clinical and non-clinical staff, consumer reference groups and industrial bodies. Consultation with the local community is underway and will be supplemented by targeted letter drops and community engagement sessions.

The committee examined written and oral evidence in relation to the new Woodville ambulance station. Witnesses who appeared before the committee were Mr Tim Packer, Executive Director Infrastructure, Department for Health and Wellbeing; Mr John Harrison, Director Building Projects, Department for Infrastructure and Transport; and Mr Rob Elliott, Chief Executive Officer, South Australian Ambulance Service. I thank the witnesses for their time.

Based upon the evidence considered and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public work.

Motion carried.

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