Fundraising for new station to begin
Fundraising for Oamaru's new Hato Hone St John ambulance station starts next week.
The Waitaki District Council has granted resource consent for the long awaited new station to be built on an area of land that will be subdivided off the northwest corner of 4 Weston Rd.
St John hopes that construction of the new station for Oamaru will start in the 2026 financial year.
District operations manager Otago-Southland David Milne said the new station would also have a public training facility.
"The team is very excited about getting a new station as once it is complete, it will future-proof our operations.
"Having a new station will have an incredibly positive impact on Hato Hone St John's people and services in Oamaru and will ensure the organisation can support the town and its surrounding rural district for years to come."
"Once it is finished, the new station will also ensure our team can continue operating through any disruption or natural disaster. We still need to fundraise for this project, though, so [we] really do appreciate the continued support of the North Otago community," he said.
The Oamaru project will form part of the St John annual national fundraising campaign.
This June, the organisation hopes to raise $4.5million for the building and urgent repair and rebuild of 13 ambulance stations around New Zealand.
St John chief executive Peter Bradley said this year's appeal was about more than just raising money for bricks and mortar.
"This is about future-proofing our stations, the home base for our emergency crews, so that no matter what tomorrow brings, our teams will always be there for communities when they need us most," Mr Bradley said.
"For our ambulance officers they are also a home away from home and a place to reset, recharge and connect with each other after attending a callout."
Ambulance stations are also often a vital community hub for volunteers, including those delivering first aid training and running St John Youth programmes.
St John staff and volunteers will be out on the street with collection buckets on June 14-15.
Schools and businesses will support with local fundraising activities.
To donate online, visit the Light the Way Annual Appeal website at Lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz
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