St John Ambulance's current site on Pererika St. Photo / Stephen Parker
St John Ambulance's current site on Pererika St. Photo / Stephen Parker
Some Rotorua St John Ambulance staff say lives could be at risk if management pushes ahead with plans to replace its central station with two new stations on each side of the city.
They say a majority of their callouts are in the central city and western suburbs and ambulances could get stuck in traffic on Te Ngae Rd and Fairy Springs Rd trying to get back into the city.
However, St John said its move was designed to get quicker response times and its research told them having stations at either side of the city was the best plan.
St John staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, were also concerned money was being wasted with delays in management's decision making.
It had been two years since it was announced there would be stations built at Te Ngae Rd and Fairy Springs Rd. Since then, two buildings had been bought costing more than $1.1 million, one of which was onsold last year.
The staff were worried the delay was costing the community money in rates, insurance and renovations.
The staff members said they were at loggerheads with management who they claimed were not listening to their concerns. They said some staff walked out of a consultation meeting out of frustration.
However, St John management said its staff would be consulted fully.
The staff said it would be more efficient and cost effective to stay at their current central Pererika St site and upgrade those buildings.
They said a majority of their work was in lower socio-economic areas, with one staff member saying, "we don't spend a lot of time picking people up from Lynmore".
"We are wasting money on a plan we don't think will be make it better when we have a perfectly good piece of land now. But more importantly, delays getting to jobs because of traffic could cost lives," another staff member said.
St John was gifted $750,000 by Rotorua Trust in 2014 for its building upgrade and the money was used to buy the Te Ngae Rd property in June 2016, which property records showed cost $430,000. That building was sold in July last year for $435,000.
This site at 286 Te Ngae Rd was bought for $430,000 in 2016 for the purpose of a new St John Ambulance station and was sold in 2018 for $435,000. Photo / Stephen Parker
In November 2016, St John bought the Fairy Springs Rd property, where VTNZ used to be, and property records showed it cost $750,000.
This site at 40a Fairy Springs Rd was bought in 2016 for $750,000 for the purpose of a St John Ambulance station. Photo / Stephen Parker
In a written response, St John central regional general manager Andrew Boyd said it had paid about $13,000 in city and regional rates for the Fairy Springs Rd building.
Boyd did not answer specifically how much in rates and renovations had been spent on the Te Ngae Rd building.
Boyd's statement also did not answer specifically how much had been spent in building insurance in the past two years, saying St John properties were insured in bulk.
Boyd said the Te Ngae Rd site was used as a pilot site and modified to enable crews to respond from there. He said a "a minimal amount of money" was spent to make it comfortable for the crews who were deployed at the "temporary site".
When asked why the change in station locations was needed, Boyd said St John aimed to get the most appropriate resource to those with the greatest need, as soon as it could.
"In areas like Rotorua which border water, response times are quicker when ambulances are positioned at two separate locations, and our research tells us the Te Ngae and Fairy Springs areas will provide the best response times for the people of Rotorua."
Boyd said budgets for the changes had not been finalised.
Boyd said St John was looking at buying and leasing property in the Te Ngae area. He did not answer a specific question about why the Te Ngae Rd building was sold last year.
St John gets 72 per cent of its funding from Government contracts but buying buildings, ambulances and equipment was funded through user part-charges, donations and fundraising.
St John Ambulance's current site on Pererika St. Photo / Stephen Parker
When asked why there had been little progress, Boyd said it was important the final decision was the right one.
St John was asked to comment about claims management wasn't listening to staff and that some staff had walked out of meetings.
In response Boyd said: "St John is looking to engage with our people and work through the process before any formal changes are set in place. St John staff in Rotorua will be consulted throughout the build process."
