OVER the next four weeks, the final stages of construction will be completed at the new Bathurst Ambulance Station.
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Bathurst company Hines Constructions was charged with building the new facility in 2018, with the sod turned on May 7.
Since then, the team has worked at a quick pace to get the facility ready for local NSW Ambulance staff to occupy.
Construction stopped for a short time over the Christmas and new year period, but work has now resumed on the site.
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said that the project was going well and it was anticipated to be handed over on February 6.
The chosen location was a source of controversy when it was announced, as the greenfield site was adjacent to the Bathurst Sewage Treatment Plant.
However, Mr Toole said the site would ultimately make the job easier for paramedics to respond to emergencies.
“It has been chosen as this spot because of the location of the hospital and its central location in the way Bathurst has grown,” he said.
“It is the best place for them to be and to respond from.”
Mr Toole said the existing ambulance station, which has just been sold back to Bathurst Regional Council, was reaching the end of its lifespan and it was important that paramedics had a new, up-to-date facility to work from.
In December, owner of Hines Constructions, David Hines said most of the external work on the site had been completed and the main focus was on the inside of the building.
He said that the string of sunny days had been good for construction and there were only minimal issues, so construction was close to schedule.
“We’ve had a good project team running it which has been instrumental to us staying on track,” Mr Hines said.
When construction is complete, the ambulance station will be formally handed over to NSW Ambulance, which will then do its own fit-out of the premises.
This will take several weeks, meaning paramedics won’t be able to move into the building for some time yet.
Bathurst isn’t the only place getting a new ambulance station, with 23 other locations also on the cards.
There are 17 projects currently under way.
The Bathurst facility will not only house paramedics, but also become a zone office and an education unit.
The Central West Zone Office is currently located above the existing ambulance station, while the education unit is at Charles Sturt University. The new facility will bring all the operations under one roof.
