Page 5394 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Emergency services—station relocations
MS PORTER: My question is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Minister, on 2 November you released the ESA station upgrade and relocation plan for the ACT Ambulance Service and ACT Fire and Rescue. In that plan you refer to a range of changes over four phases of the project. Could you please outline those changes, particularly the works to be conducted as part of phase 1?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Porter for the question. Yes, I was very pleased to announce details of the first stage of the government’s commitment to enhancing fire and ambulance cover for ACT residents through our emergency services station relocation project. Phase 1 focuses predominantly on the northern and southern suburbs of the ACT.
There are proposals to build a new fire station in Charnwood, on Lhotsky Street, adjacent to the existing Charnwood group centre, and for the first time to establish an ambulance station in the same location to service the growing needs of the new developments in the west Belconnen area of the city. This will involve the decommissioning of the existing Charnwood fire station which has reached the end of its operational life.
The government is also proposing arrangements to relocate existing fire stations on Lathlain Street in Belconnen, again in Ms Porter’s electorate. This will involve the relocation of the existing fire and ambulance stations on Lathlain Street to a new location on Bindubi Street, adjacent to Canberra high school in Aranda. This will provide for improved service coverage for fire and ambulance services in that area of Canberra.
Finally, there are proposals to improve fire cover in the far south of the ACT residential area in the Lanyon Valley. I know that will be of interest to my colleagues Ms Burch and Mr Hargreaves. The government, for the first time, will be ensuring improved coverage for fire cover in the Lanyon Valley and southern Tuggeranong area with the establishment of a new fire station in the Condor area on Drakeford Drive and adjacent to the entrance through to the Barton Highway. This location will improve fire cover and will involve the relocation of existing fire appliances from the Tuggeranong town centre to that location and with the subsequent relocation of ambulance services from the Kambah site to the Greenway site.
These are important improvements in the delivery of emergency services for the city. The Labor government is proud of the investment it is making and the detailed planning it is undertaking to make sure that one of these primary obligations and responsibilities of government to maintain the safety and protection of our residents is able to be delivered through having our fire and ambulance stations in the right locations to provide the best possible coverage for Canberrans.
MS PORTER: Supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Ms Porter.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video