Delays, blowout hit promise to build, upgrade six ambo stations

As patients and paramedics spend longer on hospital ramps, it can be revealed a plan to build or refurbish ambulance stations has blown out by $22m.

A multimillion-dollar election promise to build or upgrade ambulance stations in some of Queensland’s fastest growing areas has been marred by budget and timeline blowouts, new documents have revealed.

It means a plan once pitched to cost $31m may now come in at more than $53m, with none of the six stations delivered until early to mid-2024 – months before Queenslanders head back to the polls.

And new Queensland Ambulance briefing documents, obtained by the opposition through right to information, show these issues come as patients and paramedics are increasingly spending longer on hospital ramps.

The Palaszczuk government, in its 2020 re-election bid, promised to build or refurbish six ambulance stations in Townsville, Rockhampton, Lawnton, Ripley, Caloundra and Morayfield to “increase access to emergency health care” and provide paramedics with “world-class amenities”.

Queensland Hospitals are currently under pressure from the latest cover variant, flu and the medical emergencies. Ambulance ramping at the PA Hospital (Princess Alexandra Hospital) Woolloongabba Tuesday 26th July 2022 Picture David Clark

The stations were also pitched as a way to “further support future operational demand in the region” according to media releases from the time.

QAS performance updates dating from June to September revealed the cost of the projects had increased or nearly doubled.

The new station at Burdell in Townsville was first pitched as $6m, with budget documents revising it up to $7.2m and QAS warning in its confidential update in September the cost was now an estimated $12.1m.

The station at Lawnton, replacing one in Petrie, had increased in price to $6.1m from $5m (in 2020) with cost increases “expected due to delays in the tender process”.

Four of the six stations were originally slated to be completed between mid to end-2023, but the “revised completion date” was now early to mid-2024, with the North Rockhampton project pushed out by eight months.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli. Picture: NewsWire/Sarah Marshall

A Queensland Ambulance spokesman said the building and construction market had been significantly affected by Covid-19, citing labour and material costs pushing up project cost estimates.

“All projects are expected to be delivered within their necessary timeframes,” he said.

Meanwhile the QAS briefing documents show 44 per cent of all patients were also waiting more than 30 minutes in ambulances before getting access to the emergency department so far this financial year, with paramedics losing a collective 434 hours a day on ramps.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said ambulance ramping across Queensland was the worst in the country.

“Imagine what it’s like for those ambos who are stuck at the end of a ramp for an entire shift when all they want to do is help those in need,” he said.