THE Beaudesert Queensland Ambulance Service will be upgraded by the state government as part of a state-wide boost to frontline services.
The station celebrated its 25th birthday in 2016.
About 100 QAS staff will be appointed and more than 60 fire and rescue appliances will be bought.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said QAS QAS staff would be distributed across Queensland where the highest demand had been identified.
“Our ambos and firies are on the frontline everyday saving lives and we know that in tough and often traumatic times they’ll have our backs,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“...The additional 100 ambulance officers will soon take up their new jobs right across Queensland communities to help keep up with increasing demand from our growing and ageing population.
“The 61 new fire and rescue appliances, also destined for locations right across Queensland, is just the first round of the 180 new urban and rural fire appliances we’re delivering in our record $702 million QFES budget.”
Health Minister Steven Miles said the QAS placements were part of an election commitment.
“Our paramedics and other staff of the QAS do an incredible job, providing life-saving pre-hospital care to more than five million Queenslanders each year,” Mr Miles said.
“But we need to make sure they continue to provide the very best emergency care.”
Mr Miles said that since 2015, the government had increased the ambulance operating budget by $211 million, funding about 508 additional ambulance officers.
“Additionally, the capital budget has provided 605 new and replacement ambulance vehicles (85 in 2018-19) across the state,” he said.
Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said the 180 fire appliances due this year and next would bolster firefighting efforts on top of more than 100 delivered under the government’s capital works program last financial year.
“That will be a statewide total of more than 280 over two financial years, and even better the appliances are completed locally, through Queensland-based companies,” Mr Crawford said.
“QFES will also determine the destinations for 119 new Rural Fire Service appliances due this financial year,” he said.
QAS staff will be distributed across operational areas where the highest demand occurred, including Beaudesert.
Other places included Rosewood, Kuranda, Charters Towers, Childers, Clifton, Tewantin, Woodford, Dunwich, Gracemere and Emu Park.
A 24-hour station would be built at Pimpama, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, staffed by 17 paramedics.
Eight fire appliances are to be placed in the south-east, with the others spread across the state.
