Ambulance response times across Melton and Moorabool continue to sit below the statewide average, according to the latest data from Ambulance Victoria.
Performance data between July and September shows only 53.1 per cent of code 1 emergencies in Melton, including life-threatening incidents such as cardiac arrests and severe trauma, were reached within the benchmark 15 minute window.
In Moorabool, the result was even lower, coming in at 46.6 per cent.
Both municipalities fell short of the Victorian statewide target, which aims for 85 per cent of critical emergencies to be attended within 15 minutes, while also sitting below the statewide performance average of around 65 per cent during the same period.
In Melton, code 1 cases took an average of 17 minutes and 25 seconds to reach, while Moorabool recorded an average of 18 minutes and 51 seconds which was longer than many metro and larger regional areas.
Both municipalities experienced an increase in average recorded response times compared to the same period in 2024-25, with Melton code one responses sitting at 55.4 per cent and 16 minutes and 47 seconds, and Moorabool’s responses totalling at 52.8 per cent and 17 minutes and 13 seconds for that period.
The figures place Melton and Moorabool in the lower-performing tier of LGAs statewide for urgent ambulance responses. While neither is among the worst-performing rural councils, both fall behind more well-resourced regional centres such as Ballarat and Horsham, which regularly record 70-80 per cent of calls responded to within 15 minutes.
Melton is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the country, adding thousands of new residents each year, while Moorabool’s semi-rural layout creates longer travel routes for paramedics, particularly in towns such as Myrniong, Darley and Ballan.
Ambulance Victoria acknowledged the state’s growing demand, reporting rising call volumes and hospital handover delays as key pressures across the network.
“Every small improvement, from more efficient handovers to quicker clearing times adds up to better care for all Victorians,” metropolitan regional director Jessica McGowan said.
In a life-threatening emergency always call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
AV Q1 performance data, including LGA data, can be found at https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/our-performance.
