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New Carindale ambulance station

Minister for Emergency Services
The Honourable Pat Purcell
August 11, 2005

The new 24-hour Carindale ambulance station would mean an improved service delivery and improved ambulance response times for local residents, Emergency Services Minister Pat Purcell told State Parliament today.

"This new station will be an additional station for the area, and it will mean an improved service delivery and improved ambulance response times for local residents," Mr Purcell said.

"There will also be a replacement station built for the current Balmoral ambulance station as well.

"The residents in the suburbs around these two new stations will be the big winners - as the new Carindale station will have an additional 16 highly-trained paramedics.

"This is on top of the 19 paramedics already based at the current Balmoral station."

Mr Purcell said there was no doubt about the need to construct a new facility to improve the operation of the Balmoral Ambulance Station.

"The current station is affected by security and capacity issues, and the Brisbane River restricts the response area," he said.

"Following consultation with the former Member for Chatsworth, the Department explored the possibility of establishing the facility on land adjacent to the Camp Hill Fire and Rescue Station.

"The proposal was to relocate the existing Kindergarten facility on a portion of the Camp Hill State School, and then redevelop the existing Kindergarten facility into an ambulance station.

"The success of this option hinged on the Kindergarten gaining parity of rates payments from the Brisbane City Council.

"My Department wrote to the Council seeking continuation of the rates concessions on the new site.

"In the absence of a positive response from Council, the Department had to abandon this option."

Mr Purcell said the Queensland Ambulance Service recognised the concerns of the community over the delay in delivering this project, and has accelerated its intention to construct a new ambulance station at Carindale.

"The new station at Carindale will improve response times to this area as well as provide backup to the South Brisbane, Mount Gravatt, Capalaba and Wynnum Ambulance Stations," he said.

"The search for a suitable alternate site for Balmoral has recommenced.

"The Beattie Government is fully committed to delivering these important projects and I will take personal interest in seeing them through."