The Minns Labor Government has purchased the site of the Berowra ambulance station on the Pacific Highway, marking a significant milestone in delivering a vital health service for the local community.

The station will support local paramedics to provide the best emergency and mobile medical care, when and where it’s needed.

Health Infrastructure and NSW Ambulance carried out a thorough evaluation of the site to ensure the location best meets the needs of the local community as well as emergency ambulance operations and paramedic staff.

The next steps for the project include design development and seeking planning approval for the new ambulance station.

Construction and operational timeframes will be determined as the project progresses.

The new ambulance station is being delivered as part of the NSW Government’s $615.5 million investment into the NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program.

The program will deliver 30 additional ambulance stations and supporting infrastructure across Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle and Wollongong over the coming years to boost frontline emergency ambulance care.

Health Infrastructure is working with NSW Ambulance and other Government stakeholders to identify potential sites for new ambulance stations under the NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program, with sites already confirmed at North Sydney, South Windsor and Oran Park.

The Program follows the success of the $202 million Sydney Ambulance Infrastructure Strategy, which delivered 12 new ambulance stations and seven Paramedic Response Points across the Sydney Metropolitan area, and the $232 million Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration program which is delivering 54 new and upgraded ambulance stations across regional NSW.

The NSW Government is working to improve access to care and reduce wait times, through our budget emergency department relief package which will invest:

• $171.4 million to expand services accessed via Healthdirect through the Single Front Door with the additional virtual care services helping 180,000 people avoid a trip to the ED;
• $100 million to back in our urgent care services for a further two years to become a mainstay and key instrument of the health system in providing a pathway to care outside of our hospitals for an estimated 114,000 patients;
• $70.1 million to expand emergency department short stay units to improve patient flow to reduce ED wait times by nearly 80,000 hours;
• $15.1 million for an Ambulance Matrix that provides real time hospital data to enable paramedics to transport patients to emergency departments with greater capacity and reduced wait times;
• $31.4 million to increase Hospital in the Home across the state allowing over 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed
• $53.9 million to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identified patients early on that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Ryan Park:

“The new purpose-built Berowra Ambulance Station will be designed and constructed to support local paramedics to provide the best emergency and mobile medical care well into the future,” Mr Park said.

“Improving access to care is one of our top priorities, and this new ambulance station will improve network coverage particularly for M1 commuters in northern Sydney and support existing ambulance stations including at Wahroonga and Hawkesbury River.”

“It is vital new ambulance stations are located at places which optimise ambulance response performance, and the Berowra site was identified following a comprehensive service planning process.”