Moggill Electorate, Ambulance Station; Prentice, Ms J
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 12:10
19 August 2010
Adjournment
Moggill Electorate, Ambulance Station; Prentice, Ms J
Dr FLEGG (Moggill—LNP) (5.12 pm): Ever since my first election to this place, I have expressed my concern for the safety of the constituents of Moggill, particularly in relation to ambulance response times, where the government’s published figures show that there is only one chance in four of receiving an ambulance in a code 1 emergency in any of the suburbs west of Kenmore. This is a theme that has concerned me for many years. In response to my concern the government was good enough to initiate a first responder program, which has been a very busy program, particularly in the Moggill-Bellbowrie area. That has shown the desperate need for a new ambulance station in the area.I am pleased to say that the government has now indicated that a new ambulance station will be built, but I have some concerns about that. Firstly, it has long struck me the reluctance of the state government to consult local members when the local member is a member of the opposition in relation to state government services in the area. That does not apply to the Brisbane City Council, where opposition members are frequently consulted about development and council issues in the area, but that willingness to consult does not extend to the state government.
So we saw the sale of an emergency services site in Moggill—the most densely populated suburb west of Kenmore—and without any local consultation, not just with me or with Councillor Margaret de Wit or anyone else, the purchase of a site on the corner of Pinjarra Road and Vyner Street. There are some significant questions as to why you would put an ambulance station in a sparsely populated acreage area rather than in a populated area. I have sought information and asked for a meeting with the minister, which my local Councillor Margaret de Wit would join me for. We have put in freedom of information requests for the rationale behind siting the ambulance station in this area and there does not appear to have been any community consultation. I see that an amount of $300,000 has been allocated to commence the ambulance station, but it is a $2.5 million project. So there are still a lot of questions to be answered about how and when that project will be completed. I look forward to the minister agreeing to meet me so that we can act in the best interests of getting the best outcome for emergency services for the people in these suburbs who have long suffered from poor ambulance coverage.
While I have a few seconds left, I would like to express my best wishes to our federal candidate, Jane Prentice. We look forward to having a federal candidate representing the local area who will work hard with us to represent the constituents in our area. Good luck on Saturday, Jane.