28 June 2012

New Ambulance Station for Batemans Bay

28 June, 2012

NEW AMBULANCE STATION FOR BATEMANS BAY

The Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, and the Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, today officially opened the new $2.2 million Batemans Bay ambulance station.

The new state-of-the-art facility will house 11 paramedics who will have access to a fleet of six ambulance vehicles.

The station replaces the original Batemans Bay ambulance station which was built in 1968 in the centre of the CBD.

Mrs Skinner said the NSW Government’s investment in providing a more modern and better equipped ambulance station demonstrated the ongoing commitment to providing the best pre-hospital care in the country.

"The Ambulance Service provides a vital link within the health system as paramedics are often the first contact that community members have in their time of need," Mrs Skinner said.

"The provision of pre-hospital care is quite often lifesaving and ensures the patient’s seamless progression into the hospital system and their ultimate rehabilitation and recovery," she said.

The Batemans Bay crews attend approximately 250 to 300 cases per month, with the number increasing during large community events and holiday periods when the popular tourist destination swells with visitors.

Mr Constance said that the new station is more centralised to the response area and is equipped to support staff with updated equipment and better facilities.

"The Batemans Bay station will operate seven days a week with two ambulance crews providing coverage to the region," Mr Constance said.

"Our local paramedics deal with a diverse range of cases, including medical, trauma, water sport and motor vehicle crashes.

"The facility has an environmentally friendly design which minimises heat loads and energy costs. It harvests rainwater for toilets, includes external washing of vehicles and external taps for the garden, and generates solar hot water and power," he said.

Mr Constance said Batemans Bay has a proud history of ambulance services stretching back to 1954 when a team of honorary staff ran the service, with the first permanent officer appointed in 1965.