Tuesday, 2 December 2025

 Tim BULL (Gippsland East) (19:14): (1455) My adjournment tonight is to the Minister for Ambulance Services, and the action I seek is for the minister to reverse a decision to remove East Gippsland and Wellington Ambulance Victoria managers’ vehicles from them when they are not on shiftwork. Presently in these areas, under what has been a relatively longstanding arrangement, these managers had their vehicles, and they would respond off duty to cover emergency situations that arose when there might have been the regular resourcing challenges for the ambos that were on duty. It worked, and there are many instances of this occurring, and indeed lives were saved because of the quicker response times from having this arrangement in place. It has been a rather unique scenario in my electorate of Gippsland East, and just touching into Gippsland South as well, because they are rural, remote areas, there are long distances to travel and they have challenging geographical needs. I am told that, despite a report that said managers were using their vehicles appropriately and the system has been working quite well, it is to be concluded this December. Why the government would choose to do this on the cusp of holiday season, when we are going to have big crowds coming into our area, is beyond comprehension.

Consider a heart attack victim, where we know seconds are vital. When the ambulance manager has the vehicle at home, he can respond directly. If this situation is removed, he will then have to go to the station, get a vehicle and then go back to the incident location. This will cost time and this will cost lives. In East Gippsland the CFA and the SES managers have similar arrangements where they are allowed to take their vehicles home so that they can respond quicker to emergency situations. I would argue that our ambulance services are perhaps even more vital, and it is more critical that they can respond quicker. I am pleading with the minister to please intervene. I am told the deadline is 8 ‍December. I am pleading with the minister to intervene and ensure that these managers can keep their vehicles. We have seen the benefit of this on the ground. Lives have been saved in the past, and this is an arrangement that we should not reverse. It is a system, a process, that has been successful and should be kept in place.