Page 3719 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2013
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The government will continue, through its station relocation project team and relevant personnel in the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, to undertake further work in identifying sites in areas including Fyshwick, for ambulance and fire rescue, plus technical capabilities; Calwell, for a new SES facility; Greenway, for the conversion of the existing fire station to an ambulance facility; Gungahlin, an upgrade and extension of the existing RFS facilities in the joint emergency services centre; the Campbell and Pialligo site that I have mentioned; and a new ambulance station in the city centre.
This prudent preparatory work will further inform stage 2 of the strategy and demonstrates this government’s commitment to making sure that our fire, ambulance and emergency service capabilities are where they are needed to help protect our community. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Berry.
MS BERRY: Minister, how would a new west Belconnen ambulance and fire rescue station enhance community safety in the west Belconnen area?
MR CORBELL: Thank you again, Ms Berry, for the supplementary. I was delighted to formally open the new fire and ambulance facility at west Belconnen, in Charnwood, last week. I note that you were there, Madam Speaker, as were my Assembly colleagues Ms Porter and Ms Berry. It was tremendous to see support across the Assembly for this new, modern, state-of-the-art facility for fire and ambulance.
It will enhance community safety in the west Belconnen area because, for the first time, it puts in place a dedicated ambulance facility to service west Belconnen. Previously, of course, ambulance capabilities for west Belconnen have had to travel from other stations such as the station in the Belconnen town centre. Stationing a new and extra ambulance vehicle and dedicated crew, which have been funded in previous budget rounds, means that we can be in a better position to improve response times for residents who live in the growing west Belconnen area.
In addition, the new facility includes new and modern accommodation, training and technical support areas for ACT Fire and Rescue who will be housing one urban fire and rescue pumper and two bushfire tankers as part of their ongoing capability for the west Belconnen area. And that means that our crews are in facilities built for purpose and that will last for many years into the future and give them the comfort and the support they need to be able to respond promptly.
The final point worth making about the new west Belconnen ambulance and fire rescue station is that it is one of the first times that we have been in a position to locate fire and rescue facilities immediately onto a major trunk road, and that means that we are positioning our stations in locations where they can more promptly get onto those major trunk roads quickly and deploy to where they are needed. And that is a very important planning consideration that we will be following through in relation to a range of fire, rescue and emergency services stations that we roll out as part of the ongoing work of this program.
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