New ambulance station, more staff announced for the Gold Coast

More staff and a new ambulance station are being touted as the fix for a population boom now strangling the Gold Coast and tying up emergency services.

THE booming northern Gold Coast will soon have quicker access to emergency services, with a new ambulance station just announced for Ormeau.

Health and Ambulance Services Minister Steven Miles revealed plans for the new multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art facility this morning.

The Palaszczuk government hopes the new ambulance station will take the pressure off the Coomera, Beenleigh and Pimpama stations, which are often pushed to capacity.

Mr Miles said the new centre would be staffed around the clock to help to cater for the “growth corridor”.

“A population growth of around 124 per cent is expected in this region between 2016 and 2036, using medium series estimations, and we want to ensure the community’s expectations are being met during a medical emergency,” he said.

More resources will be allocated to the booming northern Gold Coast.

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A finishing date is yet to be announced for new centre, with work now underway to knock down existing buildings on the Peachy Rd site.

Another 15 staff members have also been announced for the Gold Coast, including seven paramedics for the Coomera station.

The other eight positions will be patient transport officers to help alleviate pressure on emergency crews on the Coast.

Queensland Ambulance Service Commissioner Russell Bowles said the additional staff were a welcome boost to the Local Ambulance Service Network.

“We’re seeing an increased demand for our services and having 15 new operational staff on the road helping the Gold Coast community goes a long way towards improving our response capability,” he said.

“The demand we’ve got on the Gold Coast is getting bigger and bigger every day.

“(This means) they’ll be able to get to their patients earlier.”

Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon said the area needed the extra services.

“The northern Gold Coast is growing rapidly so it’s absolutely critical we investing health, education and our roads,” she said.