General News
18 July, 2023
Bid to keep old ambulance station
INGLEWOOD residents have threatened a sit-in at the town’s old ambulance station slated for demolition. They want the 1970s building transferred to Inglewood and Districts Health Service. Howard Rochester, Faye Orange and Colleen Condliffe say the...
INGLEWOOD residents have threatened a sit-in at the town’s old ambulance station slated for demolition.
They want the 1970s building transferred to Inglewood and Districts Health Service.
Howard Rochester, Faye Orange and Colleen Condliffe say the building could be used as the administrative centre of the hospital and hostel metres away.
“We need to save it and recycle it,” said Howard, who is Loddon Shire’s citizen of the year.
“Our local walking group would stage a sit-in to have the building saved from demolition and put to use for the benefit of the community.
“We’ve done sit-ins before ... the old railway station, pushing for pedestrian lights in the main street for people to cross the Calder Highway safely. We can do it again.”
The trio say they are preparing a petition and will be contacting members of Parliament.
“There’s been no real reason why the old station should be knocked down,” said Faye.
“There’s still a need for it in our community. Our population is growing again and the building could be well used.”
Colleen said: “We want this saved for the community and continue to be of benefit for the community that it was originally built for.”
“This is an asset in the community that can be given a new use without the expense of demolition,” she said.
The adjacent former ambulance station residence built with funds raised locally was demolished for the new station constructed over the past six months.
Ambulance crews are expected to move into the new building within weeks.