Ministers statements: Triple Zero Victoria
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (14:43): I want to update the house on how the government is backing our 000 call takers and dispatchers with the resources that they need to continue giving Victorians the help they need in their time of need. Over Christmas I visited the Tally Ho centre, and last week I went to the Ballarat communications centre. I think you have heard me speak on a number of occasions in this house about how much admiration I have for Triple Zero staff. They are a highly skilled and valued emergency workforce. They deliver 24/7 operations. In Ballarat they now have over 250 call takers and dispatchers at that facility. I am happy to update the house that we are now officially Triple Zero Victoria. That kicked over and became the formal name following the legislation that passed this Parliament. The organisation has a new board headed by Dr Alex Cockram, an experienced board director and former commissioner to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. Our government provided a record $363 million to Triple Zero for 400 new staff, building better support and surge capacity and supporting critical technology upgrades. Their hard work has ensured that ambulance call-taking performance has exceeded the benchmark every month since August 2022. The latest Report on Government Services, which has got a fair run in this place this week, I have got to say – that data confirms that Victoria has the best ambulance call-answering performance in the country. I look forward to continuing to work with CEO Deb Abbott and the new board to ensure Triple Zero is best placed to serve the community now and into the future.