Tara Murray
A planning permit for a new ambulance station in Taylors Lakes has been lodged with Brimbank council, four and a half years after the state government pledged to build the station.
The state government announced funding for a new station in December 2016, along with four other stations in the northern and western suburbs at Melton, Wyndham Vale, Craigieburn and Mernda.
Melton Craigieburn and Wyndham Vale are yet to be built, while the Mernda station was opened in June 2019.
The government also pledged to build an ambulance ‘super response centre’ in Maribyrnong, which has also not been delivered.
Last week, a government spokesperson said planning and scoping for super response centre was well under way.
Brimbank council confirmed it received a planning permit for the construction of the Taylors Lakes ambulance station last month.
The station will be located on Eagle Terrace on a section of the property on the corner of Kings Road and Bellbird Avenue, with the entrance to be off Kings Road.
Brimbank council’s city development acting director Leanne Deans said council received the planning permit application on April 22.
“Council received a planning application to use and develop part of the land at 1-5 Eagle Terrace, Taylors Lakes,” she said.
“The application is in the early stages of assessment and once the council is satisfied that all of the required information has been submitted, the application will be advertised in accordance with requirements.”
The planning application details plans for a four bed and four bay ambulance branch.
The station will be built next to St Luke’s Anglican Church, which is also located on the site.
Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Bernie Finn said the state government was putting people’s lives at risk with the delay in improving ambulance services in the west.
He highlighted that average code one response time has increased by almost one and a half minutes in the last quarter in Brimbank, while code two response times had increased by six and half minutes in the last quarter.
“I have spoken to people waiting extensive times for ambulances, it’s a big worry,” he said.
“There has been empty promises. Numerous promises given to us by the government and very few have come to fruition. Few have appeared.
“The demand for emergency services to keep up with the need is so far behind it’s not funny.“
The ambulance station is one of three emergency services buildings that has been promised by the state government for the Brimbank and the Caroline Springs area since 2016.
Funding for a Caroline Springs SES facility was promised in the 2017-2018 budget, along SES facilities in Point Cook and Craigieburn north.
None of them have been delivered.
Star Weekly understands that all three projects are still in the land acquisition phase and the facility pledged for Caroline Springs is likely to built on Fields Street in Rockbank.
The Derrimut Fire Station, announced by the government in 2016, was officially opened earlier this year, having originally been scheduled to open in the first half of 2018.
