Dee Why promised as location for ambulance station on northern beaches as Narrabeen set to close
A new state-of-the-art ambulance station is set to open on the northern beaches, but it will replace an “aged’ facility that has been operating for more than 60 years.
Manly
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A new “state-of-the-art” NSW Ambulance station will be built on the northern beaches.
Health Minister Ryan Park confirmed that the NSW Labor government will fund the station at Dee Why that was promised by the previous Coalition government just before the March state election.
But when Dee Why is built, the “aged” ambulance station at Narrabeen, which opened in 1961, will close, Health officials confirmed on Friday.
All paramedics and ambulances at Narrabeen will transfer to Dee Why.
A timeline for its construction, and its location, have yet to be decided.
There are already ambulance stations at Avalon, Balgowlah, Belrose and Mona Vale.
The health minister’s commitment to the new station came in a response to a question in parliament on Wednesday from the independent MP for Wakehurst, Michael Regan.
Mr Regan used Question Time to ask Mr Park when would the new station be delivered and whether the Narrabeen station would be retained?
On Friday, NSW Ambulance confirmed that services would continue being delivered from Narrabeen station “until services commence at the proposed new Dee Why station at which point the current paramedics and ambulances will relocate.”
“This will create a strong ambulance network across the northern beaches with the new Mona Vale ambulance station, which opened in recent years with additional staffing,” a spokesman said.
The minister told parliament on Wednesday that “frontline emergency care for residents on the northern beaches will receive a major boost” with the new station at Dee Why.
“The exact location for the new ambulance station … will be determined once further planning is completed, which includes working with stakeholders to identify a suitable site.
“All sites being considered undergo a thorough evaluation through Health Infrastructure and the ambulance service to ensure they meet the needs of the community and emergency staff.”
Mr Park also said the current “Narrabeen ambulance station building is aged”.
“It … does not meet current standards for an ambulance station.”
Mr Park said the Dee Why station would “ensure the community has improved access to emergency care when and where they need it most”.
Mr Regan said, outside parliament, that while he was pleased with the Labor government’s commitment to “delivering a new state of the art station for the people of Wakehurst”, he was disappointed the minister “did not provide a time frame for the selection of the site or construction of the station”.
“I will continue to work with the Government to seek clarity on this and advocate for increased frontline ambulance facilities and services to be delivered in Wakehurst as a priority.
“With a six per cent increase in demand for ambulance services on the northern beaches over the last 12 months, I want to see this additional capacity rolled out as soon as possible.”
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