Protest demand: release ambulance station report

By CHRIS EARL

DISGRUNTLED residents have demanded the State Government releases building safety reports on Inglewood’s old ambulance station it has slated for demolition within weeks.

More than 30 people made the call when they rallied waving placards outside the Hospital Street building on Sunday morning.

The signs calling for a halt to demolition plans were left attached to the 1980s brick building after the protest.

“If they say the building is unsafe, then release the engineer’s reports,” said retired bricklayer Bert Bradley who worked building the ambulance station 40 years ago.

Residents have threatened a sit-in to prevent demolition and Northern Victoria Region MP Gaelle Broad in Parliament last week asked for Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas to meet Inglewood and Districts Health Services.

Ms Broad said: “Local residents are willing to stage a sit-in protest to save the building from demolition, but I ask the minister to step in to delay the demolition and facilitate a meeting between Ambulance Victoria and the Inglewood and Districts Health Service to see if a more amenable solution can be found.

“At a time when building costs are going up and materials are in short supply it seems sensible to make use of the building, which I am told is in good condition, rather than knock it down and take the scraps to the tip just to plant lawn on the site.”

Protesters say the building could have a multitude of uses for the community.

“The building could be converted into accommodation for families visiting relatives at the hostel across the road,” said Wade Roberts.

“Or it could be used by the health service as office accommodation.”

The health service last month employed additional staff as it took on in-home aged care services in southern Loddon communities.

Mr Bradley believes any faults with the building could be fixed to avoid “the agenda to demolish a good building”.

Andrew Penna travelled from Bendigo to attend the protest in his ancestral home town.

Mr Penna was critical of government authorities demolishing buildings when there was a housing crisis.

Sunday’s protest was the sec-

Hair-cutting times

NEWBRIDGE has raised

$4000 to assist community members after local Jimmy Davidson shaved his beard for the first time in five years on Saturday night. “We raised $4000 for the Newbridge community. The town went nuts and we had the best night,” he said. Besides losing a beard, Jimmy’s head of hair and pony tail were also snipped, alone raising $1500.

Water rebate offer ond time placards calling on the Government to halt demolition plans had been erected. Howard Rochester said the first signs, placed outside the building late last week had been removed. Howard and Colleen Condliffe have started a petition to have the building retained and say all options should be considered.

COMMUNITY groups in Boort can apply for $5000 rebates as part of Coliban Water’s customer and community rebates program.

The State Government has built a new ambulance station next door to the 1980s building with paramedics expected to move in this month.