It was Pat Benstead, the wife of the very first Kingscliff Station Officer, A.C Benstead who officially opened the new Kingscliff Ambulance Station yesterday.
Co-located on the new Tweed Valley Hospital campus, the new two-level ambulance station replaces the 65-year-old station on Marine Parade in Kingscliff. It features eight internal parking bays including an internal wash bay, administration and office areas, staff rest facilities, gym, logistics and storage areas and on-site parking.
Mrs Benstead cut the ribbon unveiling of the new station recognising the Benstead families significant involvement in establishing the original Kingscliff Station at 48 Marine Parade, Kingscliff prior to its relocation to the new Tweed Valley Hospital campus.
Ambulance Commissioner Dr Dominic Morgan said: ‘We’re excited to have this new station up and running for our local crews and the communities it will service in the region, now and into the future.
‘Kingscliff Ambulance Station provides state-of-the-art facilities to equip our highly skilled paramedics with the resources they need. The new station will continue to deliver high quality emergency care to the Northern Rivers communities, now and into the future,’ he said.
‘We’re excited to have this new station up and running for our local crews and the communities it will service in the region.’
The new station, along with the new $723.3 million Tweed Valley Hospital, is part of a significant expansion of health services for the Tweed-Byron region’s growing and ageing population.
The community of Tweed are also now supported by the Tweed Urgent Care Service which is currently available five days a week, from 8am – 4pm, through scheduled visits to residential aged care facilities, but will expand to offer care to people of all ages seven days a week in the coming months. Extended Care Paramedics are part of the multidisciplinary urgent care team in the Tweed region, providing support to residents for urgent but non-life-threatening medical conditions in the comfort of their own homes.
‘Kingscliff’s new ambulance station will provide local paramedics with a high-quality base and the latest facilities and equipment to meet the current and future emergency care needs of local community,’ said Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park.
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