By Esther Lauaki
Bacchus Marsh paramedics will soon have a modern new home.
Work has begun on the new $3 million Bacchus Marsh ambulance headquarters on Gisborne Road.
The current facility, at Bacchus Marsh Road, was built in the 1960s on land that was deemed unsuitable for the new project.
The new headquarters at the larger site will include a five-bay garage, four rest-and-recline rooms, training facilities, a fully equipped kitchen and improved security and carparking.
Ambulance Services Minister Jenny Mikakos said it would be home to more than 40 paramedics providing 24-hour coverage, with plenty of space for the service to grow.
“In a medical emergency, every second counts – that’s why we’re building a state-of-the-art ambulance branch for Bacchus Marsh, which will mean even faster response times and more lives saved,” Ms Mikakos said.
Breaking ground at the new site last Thursday hit close to home for Melton MP Steve McGhie.
“As a former paramedic, I know how important high-quality facilities are to those we count on to save local lives,” he said.
“We’re backing our paramedics … giving locals the peace of mind that world-class lifesaving care is on its way when they need it most.”
Latest quarterly performance data shows paramedics in Moorabool shire had improved response times, with 73.7 per cent of ambulances in the year to December arriving within 15 minutes for Code One emergencies, up from 62.7 per cent a year earlier.
The average time for an ambulance to reach the scene of a Code One emergency in Moorabool in the same period improved from 14.24 minutes to 12.14 minutes.
