Rachel contributed to a motion on Ambulance Victoria. She noted key areas for improvement as identified in the 2025 inquiry, while acknowledging the April deadline for the implementation of recommendations.
Wednesday the 4th of February, 2026
Victorian Legislative Council
Rachel Payne (South-Eastern Metropolitan):
I rise to make a short contribution on the motion in Ms Crozier’s name around Ambulance Victoria. At the outset I want to reiterate the important work that our paramedics do: when we are in times of need, when we are in emergency situations, they are the people that we call and they are the people who are on the frontline dealing with this day to day.
Support due process
This is what we heard during the inquiry into Ambulance Victoria. As a member of the Legal and Social Issues Committee, we looked at this extensively throughout 2025. The report was delivered in October 2025. The government has until April 2026 to respond to the recommendations that came out of that inquiry. When looking at this motion that is before us today, we do have to allow for that time and that process to take place. It is some of the important work we do in this place. As members of the committee we went through the process to consider all of the evidence, listen to all the experts and the stakeholders, listen to and consult with those that are most impacted by some of those misgivings about Ambulance Victoria who did come forward and did share those experiences with us. I feel it is our role as members of Parliament to allow those due processes to be supported. I emphasise the fact that I think it is important to allow the government time to respond to those recommendations, some of which will be alleviated and also the concerns raised in this motion will be alleviated through that process.
I also note the new CEO of Ambulance Victoria Jordan Embry did come and speak to us during that inquiry process. He was adamant that there are major failings within Ambulance Victoria and adamant that things do need to improve.
He has barely got his feet under the desk. He has been in that role for seven months at my count, and I think it is important for us as MPs to make sure that we are giving him that space to rectify some of those issues, particularly as he came forward as part of that inquiry process and acknowledged that.
Georgie Crozier (Southern Metropolitan, Shadow Minister for Health, Shadow Minister for Ambulance Services, Shadow Minister for Medical Research:
How many CEOs? I am not blaming him.
Rachel Payne:
Exactly, Ms Crozier, I agree that we have seen a multitude of changes in that administration. To just briefly touch on what the inquiry highlighted, it included the challenges that Ambulance Victoria is undergoing, and that was evident throughout that inquiry process. Many of these challenges were acknowledged by the executive and the CEO of Ambulance Victoria. Some of the challenges that we did examine throughout that inquiry process, and particularly where we had a lot of robust discussion and a lot of the workforce coming forward and speaking to us about their experiences, were around staffing and the need to build that workforce. One of the recommendations that came out of that inquiry was for investment in building up that workforce.
Ambulance Victoria workplace culture
Workplace culture was also a paramount discussion at the inquiry. We heard about flexible working arrangements and rostering, and this was particularly relevant to those working parents and regional workers and the experiences they shared around wanting to be part of this organisation but not having those flexible working arrangements and those improvements needing to be made. Mental health and wellbeing support was also a discussion that we had time and time again, particularly with those coming forward and sharing their experiences and some of those failings of the workplace culture within Ambulance Victoria. But I do note that one of the recommendations that was made was that Ambulance Victoria develops a culture that achieves operational effectiveness without compromising employee wellbeing.
Top-down lived experience
It was also evident that there needs to be that lived experience from the top down, ensuring that the board of Ambulance Victoria has proportionate representation of paramedicine experience and expertise. Lived experience is paramount, and it really does help in ensuring that the workplace culture within Ambulance Victoria is at its best. We did hear a lot on the reporting of misgivings and failings, and I note that some of that is also included in the motion before us today, including public reporting of ambulance ramping data. A major issue that was paramount and highlighted throughout the inquiry process is this disconnect between where ambos are and where they are most needed, ramping being one of them.
Systems upgrades
Systems and improvements were something else that was raised. It is evident that the systems that they are currently operating mean that they are not able to provide the best value of service. I feel as though the CEO was adamant that that needed to be improved. Upgrades to digital communications and information technology for ambulances, particularly in regional Victoria, was something that we did discuss as a committee and made recommendations on.
There is also the issue around triage and around codifying and quantifying the triage and urgent call-outs. There were, at the time of the inquiry, many callers into talkback radio and things like that, talking of their experiences where they have called an ambulance and had an urgent call-out because they have had chest pain, but it may not have been a heart attack. It may have been chest pain, but I think in one instance it was someone talking about having an ingrown hair. The way that is captured within the reporting from calling 000 and through to dispatch was something that as a committee we identified needed to have that override power to be able to ensure that ambulances are getting to those who most need it.
Just to finish, I think as someone who was on that inquiry we did really go into great detail about the failings and misgivings around Ambulance Victoria. But there were also some things that we highlighted are operating quite effectively, and that in particular is around service delivery. I just want to finalise my contribution today by emphasising that we saw that Ambulance Victoria consistently meets its performance targets of high-quality service and care and that the metrics of performance were effective in that space.
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