Mr BONSON - 2003-05-29
Minister, can you please inform the House what government support is being provided to increase ambulance services to the people of Darwin, Palmerston and the rural community?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an excellent question from the member for Millner. I am very pleased to be able to announce the expansion of the ambulance services in the Darwin and Palmerston area. On coming to government, we were faced with an ambulance service which was under-funded and could not always respond to call-outs as quickly as they might have wanted to. This government is fixing that. We inherited an ambulance service which included a 24 hour, seven day service at Casuarina and Palmerston, no service in the rural area, and a Monday to Friday service, nine to five, at Parap. Since coming to government, we have funded an ambulance for an after hours weekend service at Humpty Doo, and we have significantly increased the hours of the service at Parap.
Today, I am happy to announce that, from 1 November this year, the Parap Ambulance Station will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thus fulfilling a major election commitment, and also significantly improving the service for people throughout the Darwin, Palmerston and rural areas. This is a fantastic for the people of Darwin.
While I am on my feet, I would like to congratulate a couple of young women who, on the 15 May, I was very pleased to be able to present with the 2003 Ambulance Officer of the Year awards. It was wonderful. The awards went to Karen Joyner and Susan Murphy. I understand it is the first time that two non-ambulance drivers received this award. Let me put on the record that St John Ambulance provides an excellent service throughout the Northern Territory; all honourable members would consider this to be the case. The expansion of this service will improve the whole area of acute services in my department and, together with the on-call service, which we are implementing this financial year, will mean significant changes to that after-hours service.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an excellent question from the member for Millner. I am very pleased to be able to announce the expansion of the ambulance services in the Darwin and Palmerston area. On coming to government, we were faced with an ambulance service which was under-funded and could not always respond to call-outs as quickly as they might have wanted to. This government is fixing that. We inherited an ambulance service which included a 24 hour, seven day service at Casuarina and Palmerston, no service in the rural area, and a Monday to Friday service, nine to five, at Parap. Since coming to government, we have funded an ambulance for an after hours weekend service at Humpty Doo, and we have significantly increased the hours of the service at Parap.
Today, I am happy to announce that, from 1 November this year, the Parap Ambulance Station will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thus fulfilling a major election commitment, and also significantly improving the service for people throughout the Darwin, Palmerston and rural areas. This is a fantastic for the people of Darwin.
While I am on my feet, I would like to congratulate a couple of young women who, on the 15 May, I was very pleased to be able to present with the 2003 Ambulance Officer of the Year awards. It was wonderful. The awards went to Karen Joyner and Susan Murphy. I understand it is the first time that two non-ambulance drivers received this award. Let me put on the record that St John Ambulance provides an excellent service throughout the Northern Territory; all honourable members would consider this to be the case. The expansion of this service will improve the whole area of acute services in my department and, together with the on-call service, which we are implementing this financial year, will mean significant changes to that after-hours service.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016