Three new ambulance vehicles delivered to south-west

Three new ambulance vehicles, worth $500,000 on-the-road, are being delivered to stations in the State’s south-west, Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said today.

Addressing the South West Local Government Association Conference in Charleville today, Mr Roberts said two replacement emergency ambulance vehicles would replace existing vehicles at Injune and Pittsworth stations and a replacement patient transport vehicle had been delivered at Toowoomba.

The three vehicles are currently in Toowoomba for stretcher and vehicle familiarisation.

“These new vehicles are part of a major ambulance fleet upgrade for the Queensland Ambulance Service,” Mr Roberts said.

“The Government provided more than $32 million to the QAS to buy 140 new ambulance vehicles in 2007-08 and it has funded another 145 vehicles this financial year.”

“Over the same period, the QAS is recruiting an extra 505 ambulance officers.”

Mr Roberts said the QAS has record resources to allocate across the State, based on operational needs, to maximise frontline emergency service delivery.

* Meanwhile, Mr Roberts said planning for the $890,000 refurbishment of the ambulance station at Mitchell and the $400,000 replacement fire auxiliary station at Bollon were well advanced.

“Both of these projects are due to be completed this financial year. The design for the Mitchell ambulance station has been completed, while work is due to commence on the replacement Bollon auxiliary fire station in October,” he said.

Mr Roberts said the $1 million redevelopment of the Roma ambulance station and QAS regional office was officially opened in March. Replacement ambulance stations were opened at Aramac and Gemfields, in central Queensland, last week.

Media Contact: Brendan Connell 3247 8992