Hervey Bay’s second ambulance station to improve local services
A second ambulance station for Hervey Bay has arrived, as the official opening of the $3.2 million project took place on Wednesday at the new facility in Urraween.
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AMBULANCE officers, dignitaries and guests celebrated the official opening of the Urraween ambulance station on Wednesday.
Costing $3.2 million, it is the second ambulance station for Hervey Bay and provides access to first-class amenities to meet the needs of a growing population.
Member for Hervey Bay Adrian Tantari said the facility, which was now fully operational, was an important and necessary step for the area.
“Some time ago we recognised the need for a new ambulance station in Hervey Bay to meet the needs of the growing population ... We know more and more families are making Hervey Bay home,” Mr Tantari said.
Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D’Ath said the station would be home to 16 advanced care paramedics, an officer-in-charge and an Indigenous cadet.
“Two of these officers are new positions as part of our commitment of 109 additional officers starting across the State,” Ms D’Ath said.
“The remaining 15 paramedics and one Indigenous cadet are being redeployed from the existing at-capacity Hervey Bay Ambulance Station.”
Assistant Minister for Health and Regional Health Infrastructure Julieanne Gilbert, who officially opened the new station, also noted the population growth, and said how important it was to keep up.
“I know why people are choosing to come here because it is a truly beautiful place to be, so we need to make sure that we keep our facilities moving with the population growth here,” she said.
“We want to ensure the community’s expectations are being met during a medical emergency.”
QAS Deputy Commissioner Dee Taylor-Dutton said the station was in a perfect position at 27 Cooks Rd, Urraween.
“The station is strategically positioned next to Maryborough Hervey Bay Rd to enable a swift response in either direction,” she said.
“Staff operating out the new station will have access to state-of-the-art facilities including a six-bay plant room, office space, day room, patient care store, rest study rooms, write-up area, training space, staff amenities and carparking for operational and staff vehicles.”
Hervey Bay Local Ambulance Committee president Ian Farrell, who has been president for about 20 years, said the new station had been a long time coming.
“When I first started, we were working out in the old station on Torquay Rd, so I’d seen the new station built there and now I’ve seen the new station built here and it’s great,” Mr Farrell said.
“(The new station) will relieve the congestion at the old station and make response times in this area a lot quicker.”
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