Paramedic Association delegate and on road paramedic at Maclean ambulance station, Mark Young, said he feels that both staff and the community feel a sense of vindication, but are disappointed by Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis’ idea which seems to suggest filling the paramedic short falls by way of getting the community to provide their own ambulance service in Lower Clarence, namely Iluka. “In one sense our continued call for the Maclean roster’s ‘black hole issue’, to be addressed and urgently ratified has been vindicated with the local Members most recent comment, but any new roster (as reported in the CV Independent in June 2017) is not the only way to go, as staff and the Paramedic Association have identified as a solution, to get more ambulances staffed by qualified paramedics”, said Mr Young. “We have the ability to fix this issue tomorrow, with roster efficiency that the paramedic union has found and worked hard with staff and the community, to simply do better with the resources we have at hand. “All along, ambulance bureaucrats have continued to refuse responsibility for the short comings of the new roster they implemented, and dismiss any and all examples brought to their immediate attention by the Australian Paramedic Association, or even members of the community. “This mismanagement is failing the community and putting the sick, injured, traumatic, and elderly patients at an unnecessary risk. “It’s just staggering that these health bureaucrats will not listen to the communities demands for immediate action to fix the mess they have created and how best use the community taxes being spent on paramedic services. Mr Young said he can’t think of a better way to describe it, other than their “heads are in the sand”.