A new home for Air Ambulance Victoria and the Victoria Police Air wing will take off at Essendon Airport thanks to a $20.27 million Brumby government funding boost.
Health Minister Daniel Andrews and Police and Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron today officially opened the new ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police Aviation Facility.
“The Brumby Government is taking action to deliver the highest quality policing and ambulance facilities for all Victorians,” Mr Andrews said. “This joint approach will improve the State’s capacity to provide emergency services during times of crisis.”
This new facility will provide a better experience for patients and their families during transfer between air Ambulance Victoria fixed-wing vehicles and road ambulances.”
Mr Cameron said plans for a new Air Ambulance Fixed Wing aeroplane facility and a joint Air Ambulance and Victoria Police Rotary Wing facility were combined into the $20.27 million project.
“This joint approach will improve the State’s capacity to provide emergency services during times of crisis – as with the recent bushfires – or in response to mass casualties,” Mr Cameron said.
“Increasing the capabilities of the Victorian Police Air Wing and Air Ambulance Victoria will give Victorian families even greater protection during times of need.
“These world class facilities are purpose built to support effective and efficient delivery of critical aero-medical and policing services across Victoria.”
Mr Andrews said the new Air Ambulance Victoria facility would have a daily workforce of 22 staff including six paramedics and five pilots.
“In the 2008-09 State Budget, the Brumby Government delivered $24.9 million over four years to expand the retrieval helicopter service based at Essendon and to meet the increased cost of the fixed wing contract through to 2010-11,” he said.
“The new retrieval helicopter will provide 24-hour adult, neonatal and paediatric retrieval capacity so that critical patients can be transferred from rural hospitals to specialist care in Melbourne.”
Mr Andrews said Victoria’s ambulance service was the best in Australia thanks to the work of paramedics and the Brumby Government having more than doubled funding for ambulance services since 1999.
“In the last State Budget, the Government invested $186 million into Victoria’s ambulance services – the largest single investment in the state’s history,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said the Victoria Police Air Wing responded to about 3000 tasks last year, and has played a key role in responding to bushfire ravaged areas over the past month.