Ambulance station, play space on shire’s election list

THE north of Golden Plains has received significant attention in its council’s list of advocacy projects ahead of this year’s state election.

Improved public transport, meanwhile, remained a major focus for the council in population centres such as Bannockburn.

Golden Plains Shire Council is recommending a range of projects before the November poll.

This list included an ambulance station and a new play space for Smythesdale.

“This area is significantly falling well below the state average of response times,” Golden Plains mayor Owen Sharkey said.

“But I think we all appreciate the huge amount of growth that’s happening around here.”

According to Ambulance Victoria’s 2024-25 annual report, the statewide average response time for code 1 cases in that period was 15 minutes 29 seconds.

In the fourth quarter of that period, 28 per cent of Code 1 incidents in Golden Plains were responded to within 15 minutes against the statewide target of 85 per cent, with an average time of 22.19 for 254 first responses.

In the second quarter of 2025-26, according to AV’s response time data, that percentage for the same target increased to 29.1 per cent with an average time of 22.08 minutes for 306 first responses.

Cr Sharkey said both proposals were needed to cater for existing residents and future population growth.

“The population of Golden Plains is 25,000 and then we’re going to be exceeding 42,000 by 2041,” he said.

“So we’ve got to put in some really good infrastructure to make sure that the growth and livability of our members or our residents is looked after.”

The theme of livability, Cr Sharkey said, extended to growth areas in the shire’s south.

“In Bannockburn it is about public transport and getting that accessibility for jobs and schools into Geelong, and the same applies to the north of the shire, being able to get back into Ballarat for work and education,” he said.

Cr Sharkey said the effectiveness of such priority lists included bringing attention to projects that could be considered across a number of elections as part of strategic planning.

He said some items would not be received as part of this election.

“But the advocacy now for something in 10 or 15 years’ time starts now,” he said. “So it’s about planting those seeds.”

Cr Sharkey asked residents to engage politicians and advocate on issues ahead of the state election.

More information about the shire’s state election priorities at goldenplains.vic.gov.au.