Questions without notice and ministers statements
Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:02): (169) My question is for the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, ESTA’s website has a series of facts and figures available to the public. Why does ESTA not report the wait times for 000 calls needing an ambulance?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:02): The benchmark that is set for ESTA is set by IGEM, monitored by IGEM and reported by IGEM.
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:02): Thank you, Minister, for that response, but there is lots of other information on there, so it is a pretty simple issue that probably should be reported. I think it should be reported. Nevertheless, Minister, what are the average wait times for 000 calls needing an ambulance as at the end of April 2023 and the month to date?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:03): I do not have the specific average for April. Do you mean for the month of April or for the six months leading up to April? The IGEM will report on that in his next report, so it will be publicly available at that time. In relation to call answer speed, I am advised – informally, which is not verified by IGEM, who is the independent person who oversees, and correctly so – by ESTA in relation to their call times that they are exceeding their benchmark and have been for eight months. I remind the house that the benchmark is 90 per cent of calls in 5 seconds, and they are in the high 90s and have been for the last eight months. But for the official verified figures, they come from the IGEM.