New 24-hour $5m Ripley ambulance station to be built on land on Ripley Road next to Monterea Ripley estate

A $5 million facility will be built in one of Queensland’s fastest-growing residential areas, after the state government found an urgent need to cater for the population boom. SEE THE DESIGNS

A new 24-hour ambulance station is being planned in Ripley. The facility will cost $5 million.

Construction on a new $5 million ambulance station is not expected to begin for another year with the first stage of the development expected to be completed by 2024.

The 24-hour facility will be built next to a housing estate in fast-growing Ripley to service the city’s ballooning south east pocket.

Labor promised the station as part of a 2020 election pledge if it retained government with the land on the corner of Ripley and Monterea roads bought in 2019.

The facility will be built over two stages next to the Monterea Ripley housing estate.

The 14,300 m2 block is over 399-409 Ripley Road, just up the road from the Ripley Fire Station.

The site is next to the Monterea Ripley housing estate.

The new Ripley station will house the West Moreton Local Ambulance Service Network office, which is currently located at the Ipswich station.

It will be built over two stages with the main station, district office and 10-bay ambulance vehicle storage space coming first and a 20-bay patient transfer vehicle parking space and staff parking as part of stage two.

“The Ripley Valley is experiencing rapid population growth resulting in a significant increase in demand for ambulance services,” a Queensland Ambulance Service project brief noted.

“QAS has identified that an ambulance station is required for service delivery in the Ripley locality.

“The subject property at Ripley met the QAS requirements and was purchased from Energex on 13 June 2019.

“QAS undertook due diligence of the site prior to purchase, including traffic management, environmental, flood and stormwater management investigations.

The station will service the rapidly-growing area.

“Having taken into account the council feedback and due diligence recommendations, the project has progressed to the concept design (stage).”

Stage one is planned to be finished by mid-2024 and stage two will be constructed “in accordance with future service demand requirements” with the timing not yet known.

About 355 people moved to Ripley and 114 new houses were built in the suburb between April and June, second only behind Spring Mountain for growth in Ipswich.

“QAS regularly develops new ambulance stations within residential and rural residential areas as this is required to ensure rapid response times to the surrounding community,” the brief noted.

“Ambulance stations are very low impact, suited to residential areas. No industrial or commercial activities are conducted onsite and there is minimal staff activity.

“Emergency service vehicle lights and sirens are only engaged when required to alert surrounding vehicles of their approach.

“Ambulance vehicles will not leave the site with sirens engaged unless there is a hazard on the road, and sirens are required.

Bundamba MP Lance McCallum.

“The QAS employs a ‘dynamic deployment’ service model, which means that vehicles and paramedics will leave the station at the commencement of the shift and only return for meal breaks, and shift changeover.

“The number of vehicles exiting the site under lights and sirens is not expected to significantly impact on surrounding land uses.”

Bundamba MP Lance McCallum said the spend on the facility formed part of the more than $750 million for the local West Moreton Hospital and Health Services in this year’s budget.

“The brand new Ripley ambulance station is great news for our rapidly growing community and will be an excellent addition our new South Ripley satellite hospital, along with our $25 million, 26-bed ward at Ipswich Hospital and our $177 million and 174 public bed expansion at Mater Hospital Springfield,” he said.

“Ipswich has been identified as Queensland’s fastest growing healthcare region, and we are proud to deliver more beds, frontline services and infrastructure to support our local community.”

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