Government claims ambulances are being taken off road for repairs after officers climbed on them to write protest messages

Dented bonnets and damage from protest slogans will result in several ambulances taken off the road for repair work, the government says.

Ambulances are being taken off the road for thousands of dollars of repair work – including to bonnets dented by paramedics climbing on them to daub protest slogans, the state government says.

The “chalking” of protest signs on ambulances has become a flashpoint between the government and the Ambulance Employees Association.

The government said a deal this week to hire 74 extra paramedics included an agreement “to cease all industrial action”.

But the union has vowed to continue the practice, claiming it has legal advice that it does not meet the threshold of industrial action.

Messages written on the site of an ambulance. The government says a new deal includes an agreement to cease writing such messages. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) said in some cases long-lasting paint – not chalk – had been used, causing significant damage.

It said several ambulances would need to be taken out of service for repairs, but did not specify a number.

Treasurer Rob Lucas said the revelation was deeply concerning and underscored the importance of SAAS chief executive David Place’s direction to staff on Monday for all chalking to cease and for graffiti messages to be removed as a matter of priority.

“It is completely counter-productive that at a time when we are doing all we can to have more ambos out responding to emergencies, the union’s industrial action has the potential to put further strain on the system by having to take lifesaving vehicles off the road and into the workshop or local panel beaters,” Mr Lucas said.

“To have staff physically climbing on top of vehicles to chalk is not only dangerous, but in some cases, I’m advised it’s caused significant damage such as a severely dented bonnet, which will cost more than $2000 to repair.”

An ambulance officer allegedly chalking a vehicle with protest messages. Picture: State Government

Union officials say they are unaware of any specific damage to vehicles apart from one instance of a dented bonnet which was caused by an officer leaning to clean a window.

Mr Lucas said the slogans were causing “distress’ to some patients including the elderly and vulnerable.

He said SAAS had reported some patients had said they would be “too frightened to get into an ambulance with the word ‘unsafe’ scrawled on it”. Mr Lucas called on union state secretary Phil Palmer to advise his members to cease chalking immediately.

He was seeking advice on the total repair bill.

On Monday, union members voted in favour of the government’s offer to employ 74 more paramedics as part of a deal that also involves roster reform. Mr Palmer said the agreement was a “first instalment”, not the end of the union’s campaign.

“The AEA will continue to highlight the failings of this government, through speaking out publicly, through chalking messages on ambulance windows, and by taking industrial action when the need arises,” he said.

The Marshall Govt is attempting to silence our ambos yet again.

Chalked messages on ambulances are simply our ambos highlighting the critical safety issues facing South Australians' due to an underfunded ambulance service.

Ambos will not be silenced. #IStandWithOurAmbospic.twitter.com/pLnd6gci8J

— Ambulance Employees Association (SA) (@aeasa1981) May 31, 2021