$7 million Rockhampton Ambulance Station refurbishment tender now open

The refurbishment was announced on Tuesday while the LNP continued to criticise a perceived lack of attention given to Rockhampton Base Hospital.

Keppel MP Brittany Lauga, Jenni Cousens, Rockhampton MP Barry O'Rourke, CQ LASN Acting Chief Superintendent Warren Kellett, and Lea Kettle.

Tenders have opened for a $7 million refurbishment of the Rockhampton Ambulance Station while the LNP continues to criticise a perceived lack of attention given to Rockhampton Base Hospital.

The station on the corner of Denison and Fitzroy streets was built in 1983 and houses more than 100 workers, including Triple-0 responders and about 60 ambulance and auxiliary staff.

Construction is expected to take about 12 months and support 23 full-time jobs.

Member for Rockhampton Barry O’Rourke and Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga attended the station on Tuesday morning to announce the plans.

“Look at the building,” Mr O’Rourke said.

“It’s well and truly dated. It’s over 38 years old, and things have changed a lot in those times.

“It is important that we support and look after our communications teams and our first responders out there to make sure that they have a good environment to be able to work from.”

Changes to the station will include security and technology upgrades, better ambulance maneuverability, and improved staff areas.

CQ LASN Acting Chief Superintendent Warren Kellett said the refurbishment would improve accessibility and morale at the station.

“This’ll give us the ability to have a clean slate, and bring that latest technology into here, whether it’s just simply a lift for those that are disabled, and so forth,” he said.

“Everything is new, and therefore everything is attractive.”

Integrity in Government Shadow Minister Fiona Simpson.

Integrity in Government Shadow Minister Fiona Simpson was also in town on Tuesday to repeat LNP calls for a resolution to increased ambulance ramping at Rockhampton Base Hospital and for Queensland Health to release the latest hospital performance data.

“Queenslanders deserve full transparency around the performance of Rockhampton Hospital,” Ms Simpson said.

“The government is refusing to release the most up to date hospital performance data. It’s long overdue.

“Ambulance ramping at Rockhampton Hospital remains the worst in regional Queensland.

“How can we fix something if it’s not being measured?”

When asked why money was being spent at the station, rather than at Rockhampton Hospital, Mr O’Rourke responded:

“When you look at any of the services that are provided, the Central Queensland Health and Hospitals district works closely with Queensland Health around those services, and those needs are prioritised according to that.”

Ms Lauga added that “Fiona has never been here and never spoken to the staff in this centre and about the importance of this centre to the whole Central Queensland community.

“This operations centre that we’re standing in takes Triple-0 calls from 300,000 sq km right across Queensland,” she said.

“So this is a really integral part of our health system, and a $7 million investment on refurbishing this space is incredibly important for the staff that work here, but also for the delivery of this important service.”

Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry.

Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry on Monday accused the State Government of being “Brisbane-centric” in its hospital funding.

“The Queensland Labor Government has a history of over promising and under delivering on heath in Central Queensland,” she said.

“All regions deserve good hospitals but sadly Rockhampton Base is constantly ignored.

“In the dying days of the most recent state election, the Labor Party pledged $31 million to build a new cardiac hybrid theatre and an expansion and refurbishment of the mental health ward.

“Here we are, over six months later, with little or no progress and patients being left in the lurch yet again.”

Mr O’Rourke said that “work is happening” on those promises.

“It’s wonderful to see the mental health ward is going through an expansion up there at the Rocky Base Hospital, and a refurbishment which will be great for our local community and a place where people can get well,” he said.

“As far as the cardiac services ward, I do believe that work’s already commenced in that space.”

Tenders for the ambulance station refurbishment close at the end of the month.