Operating lifesaving duties out of a “temporary” three-bedroom building for close to two decades, Hato Hone St John Nelson and Tasman Bays rattled its donation buckets in June, this time for responses to its own calls for assistance.
The Light the Way appeal was part of a nationwide mission by the organisation for community donations for 13 new-build or modernised sites across the motu, including a fit-for-purpose Nelson Tasman Ambulance Hub on the Coman Dr and Mānatu Way corner in Richmond.
The new premises, to accompany the existing Nelson, Stoke and Motueka hubs, is in response to the local population increase and the need to aid staff with a more favoured zone to recharge, restock and reset.
With the 4000sqm land and resource consent for it obtained, the building can go up when a copious amount of funds are injected.
Close to one-fifth of its $500,000 Light the Way appeal objective was achieved for extra groundwork before the hub’s first sod can be turned.
Tasman’s Hato Hone St John operations manager James McMeekin says, while the existing base on Lower Queen St is in a stable condition, it was “outgrown”, with its fleet non-centralised.
“When you look at the growth, the complexities of people’s health needs now, the aging population that’s spread right across the Top of the South, it’s about making sure we’re meeting that demand now, but also future-proofing it going forward,” he says.
“By having a hub where all our fleet is, where all our spare fleet is, ready at a station that’s built for ambulance service delivery, means that they’re immediately deployable rather than a very delayed activation.
“That then feeds out into Motueka, Golden Bay, and of course, into greater Nelson. This big step now is to get the funds in to then start the build and make that move, otherwise the site now, it’s doing its thing, the staff are there to make it work, but it’s not ideal.”
