Thursday, 14 August 2025

Emergency communication services

Peter WALSH (Murray Plains) (17:15): (1263) My adjournment matter tonight is for the Minister for Ambulance Services, and it concerns the tragic death of Alfred Edwards on the front lawn of his house in Swan Hill on 5 January 2022. When Mr Edwards collapsed, members of his family rang 000 repeatedly but could not get through. They also rang Swan Hill police station, and the sergeant on duty, who came to the Edwards home, subsequently went to the Swan Hill ambulance station to get assistance for Alfred. Ambulance officers were actually at the station but because 000 was not answering were unaware of the case until police knocked on the door. The Edwards family believe they are owed an explanation as to why they could not get through to 000 despite repeated calls over a 30-minute period.

I raised this issue with the Minister for Health in the adjournment debate in February 2022, but the request was ignored – with no surprise from that particular minister. Again I raised the issue with the then Premier in question time on 8 June 2022, and he responded that he had been advised that the acting CEO of ESTA had spoken to the family but would check if that was correct. Alfred’s son David Edwards recently contacted me about this issue again, and he told me no-one from ESTA, Ambulance Victoria or the government has ever contacted them with an explanation as to why they could not get through to 000 when their husband and father was dying. Minister, can you please respond to the Edwards family’s plea for a response so they can have some closure on the tragic death of Alfred?