Goya Dmytryshchak
A ‘super’ ambulance station pledged for Maribyrnong in 2016 has yet to be built by the state government.
In December 2016, the government announced it would build a new 24-hour station with 14 full-time equivalent paramedics and an extra ambulance for the area.
At the time, then Footscray MP Marsha Thomson said Maribyrnong’s new “super response centre” meant “extra capacity for emergencies such as the thunderstorm asthma event”.
“There will be a lot of consideration in the siting, but the intention is to move as quickly as we can,” Ms Thomson had said.
Last week, a government spokesperson said planning and scoping for the project was “well under way”.
“The Victorian Health Building Authority is continuing to work with the other agencies that will share this site, to identify and acquire the most suitable land for this project,” the spokesperson said.
In December 2016, the government also pledged to build five new ambulance stations across Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs at Melton, Wyndham Vale, Taylors Lakes, Craigieburn and Mernda.
Land has been identified for the Melton and Taylors Lakes stations but construction has yet to commence, while the government has yet to acquire land for the Wyndham Vale and Craigieburn stations.
The Mernda station was opened in June 2019.
Victorian Ambulance Union assistant secretary Olga Bartasek said the government had spent a long time looking for land for the Maribyrnong ‘super’ station.
“If you’re going to fulfil the promise, you would think that’s there’s something or someone’s started looking – [it is] a long time to be looking for land to be acquired.”
Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Bernie Finn said the station should have been operational by now.
“I find that astonishing, that … all they can say is, basically, we’re still thinking about it,” he said.
“That is just not good enough.
“If you’re going to make promises and you’re going to make these grand announcements and claim publicity and so forth, the least you can do is follow through.
“I think it’s about time that they started to show some respect to Melbourne’s west and started to actually come through and deliver on their promises.”
