THE Medowie community is a step closer to gaining its first ambulance station, with the preferred location announced.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new purpose-built ambulance station will be at 30 Ferodale Road, providing the optimal location to service the community, with construction due for completion in 2022.

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“The NSW Government is committed to investing in rural and regional health infrastructure to support better health outcomes for local communities,” Mr Hazzard said.

“Our paramedics need the best possible workplace to provide emergency medical care, and this new station will make a real difference to their working environment.”

NSW Ambulance and Health Infrastructure worked to identify the new location for the station using best practice demand modelling software which maps Triple Zero calls, and determined Ferodale Road as the most suitable site now and into the future.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said the announcement provided the community with its first look at the station design.

“It’s exciting to see the design for the new ambulance station, which will be a contemporary facility, tailored to the needs of the Medowie community to enable paramedics to continue delivering high-quality emergency healthcare,” Mr Martin said.

“The purpose-built station will feature internal parking for up to six emergency ambulance vehicles, relief accommodation for paramedics, administration and office areas, logistics and storage areas, an internal wash bay and staff parking.”

“It will provide a high quality base for our paramedics and will be equipped to meet current and future demand for emergency care in our region.

“Next steps include further due diligence, design development and seeking planning approval for the new station.”

Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington told News Of The Area, “I’m pleased the NSW Government has listened to our community’s pleas for an ambulance station in Medowie, with today’s announcement a new station will be built on the corner of Ferodale Rd and Abundance Rd.

“To achieve faster response times, the Government must ensure our area receives additional ambulances and paramedics along with the new building.

“Our local paramedics are already overstretched trying to meet the needs of our community, and they desperately need more funded positions to improve local response times.

“By next year, Medowie will have a six-bay ambulance station, four primary schools, two supermarkets, a 24-hour McDonalds, but still no public high school.

“The Liberal Government’s secret plan to squeeze more and more Medowie students into the high schools in Raymond Terrace is not good enough.

“The Minister for Education should follow the Minister for Health’s lead and commit to the infrastructure Medowie desperately needs – a public high school,” she said.

By Marian SAMPSON