Missed Opportunity with New Windsor Ambulance Station?

South Windsor will get a new purpose-built ambulance station at a site on Acacia Close, South Windsor as part of a $455 million program for 30 new stations around the state.

But while the site was identified following a comprehensive service planning process using best practice modelling software which maps Triple Zero calls, the location of the new site will still leave thousands of people in the Hawkesbury west of the river without a service during flood events.

Councillor Nathan Zamprogno welcomed the investment but found the location of South Windsor “baffling”. 

“These decisions are only made once a generation. The significant growth in population we’ve seen west of the river made a compelling case for a new station to be located at North Richmond,” Cr Zampgrogno said.

“When a former Councillor was involved in a car accident at Kurrajong some years ago, the ambulance took over half an hour to reach the site on a quiet morning. Many residents from Kurrajong to Berambing won’t be comforted by the knowledge that emergency services may be delayed in the traffic crossing the Hawkesbury River.” 

He added that councilors were promised figures at briefings over the years with response times to various Hawkesbury suburbs for 000 calls but he does not recall the figures being given. 

“This isn’t a Council decision,” he adds “but we’ve been advocating for what seems an obvious need for many years, and the decision to locate the facility at South Windsor is a lost opportunity.”

The State Member for Hawkesbury Robyn Preston also welcomed the announcement but told the Post: “I will continue to push for a third station at North Richmond or other suitable location west of the river.” She added that another solution could be some kind of “ambulance kiosk” for the area saying there were a number of possible sites.

Ahead of floods, paramedics often take a vehicle across the river to attend to emergencies but this needs to be properly funded and formalised, Preston said.

The new ambulance stations are a continuation of a 2022 policy from the previous government that appears to have taken a $135 million funding cut.

“The new South Windsor Ambulance Station will support local paramedics to provide the best emergency medical care now and into the future,” NSW Health Minister Park said.

“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 and our ambulance operations and paramedics.

“This newly planned South Windsor Ambulance Station will be a significant investment for our paramedics and the community that will bolster emergency care for the communities of the Hawkesbury and provide a modern workplace for local paramedics.”