AGY-2486 | Ambulance Service of New South Wales

Full description

In 1990, the Ambulance Service of New South Wales was incorporated by the Ambulance Services Act 1990 (Act No.16, 1990) (1) and the Service commenced operations on 1 July, 1990. (2)

The Act established the Ambulance Service Board consisting of the Chief Executive Officer and six to eleven Directors appointed by the Minister. One of the Directors was a representative of the staff of the Ambulance Service, the procedures for whose appointment were covered by regulations under the Act. The Chief Executive Officer was responsible for the management of the Service. (3)

The functions of the service were to provide, conduct, operate and maintain ambulance services; to co-operate with other organisations providing ambulance services; to protect persons from injury and death; to ensure the efficient and economic operation in the provision of ambulance services by such means as planning, management and quality control. (4)

In addition to employing staff the Service was permitted to engage, control and supervise voluntary ambulance officers and to prescribe their duties. (5)

The Service possessed the powers of a corporate body including the right to purchase and sell property, enter contracts, invest funds and the use of the corporate seal. (6)

Under the legislation unauthorised provision of Ambulance services was forbidden as was collection of moneys for the provision of ambulance services unless authorised by the Director-General of Health. (7)

The Ambulance Service of NSW was abolished on 17 March 2006 when the Public Sector Employment Legislation Amendment Act 2006 (Act No.2, 2006) repealed the Ambulance Service Act 1990. (8) It was replaced by NSW Ambulance as a statewide health service under the Health Administration Corporation. (9)

Endnotes
1. Ambulance Services Act, 1990, s.8, NSW Legislation website, 14 June 1990.
2. NSW Government Gazette, 29 June, 1990 p. 5390.
3. Ambulance Services Act, 1990, s.8, NSW Legislation website, 14 June 1990.
4. Summarised from Ambulance Services Act, 1990 s. 12, NSW Legislation website, 14 June 1990.
5. Ibid. s. 14.
6. Ibid. s. 16-21.
7. Ibid. s. 23-24.
8. Public Sector Employment Legislation Amendment Act 2006, section 8.
9. NSW Health Organisation Chart, on NSW Health website, https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/about/nswhealth/Pages/chart.aspx (accessed 11 November 2022).