Campaigners get to dig first hole for Iluka Ambulance Station

It may have only been a simple hole in the ground, but for the two people who made Iluka’s ambulance station come to life, it was just reward for almsot five years of work

It grew from a groundswell of support, and today the first hole in the ground was dug for Iluka’s long awaited new ambulance station.

And fittingly, it was the two people who nearly five years ago started the campaign for the station who dug that hole.

“It was pretty hard going too,” John McLean, who along with wife Anne said while like the sand, it had been a hard fight, but seeing the start made it worth it.

They were joined by Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis, other members of the Iluka Ambulance Station Action Group, Clarence Valley Mayor Jim Simmons, representatives from the Iluka Bowling Club, local paramedics and officials from NSW Ambulance and Health Infrastructure.

“It was definitely people power that made this possible. There is no way I could have convinced the Government to go ahead without the drive of the Iluka community, led in this instance by the tireless triple-0 heroes Ann and John McLean,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“It has also been sped along with the enthusiastic co-operation of many stakeholders, including the Iluka Bowls Club and Clarence Valley Council.”

“And because we are a nature loving bunch here in the Lower Clarence, the new building is going to be solar powered to reduce its impact on the environment.”

Members of the Iluka Community turned out for the turning of the first sod of Iluka's new ambulance station.

Designed with input from local paramedics, it is tailored to the needs of the local community and incudes relief accommodation and a wash bay in addition to the basics.

The Iluka community was initially told their town was too small to justify an ambulance station, but after Chris Gulaptis brought Deputy Premier and Nationals Leader John Barilaro to meet locals, the bureaucrats were overruled and ordered to get the project under way.

Today’s sod-turning ceremony marks the official start of construction with main works on the new station scheduled for completion by early 2022, followed by a fit-out and an operational commissioning phase prior to the commencement of operations from the new facility.