Local WA Nationals MP Shane Love told State Parliament that he was “shocked and dismayed” by the sacking.

He said Mr Wroth had been dealt a “gut-wrenching blow”.

“St John needs to understand that there is a view among many volunteers across a number of districts that they are not valued and respected by St John,” he said.

“They deserve respect, they deserve representation, they deserve better treatment than Mr Wroth has had.”

St John officials declined at the time to answer Herald questions about Mr Wroth’s sacking after ordering him not to discuss it with anyone due to “privacy concerns”.

They told local ambulance volunteers that Mr Wroth was ‘on holiday’.

CEO Michelle Fyfe told MPs last month that St John’s was “open and transparent” but she declined to answer their questions publicly about why Mr Wroth was sacked.

This was “in order to protect a number of people who came forward to us and who are concerned about a backlash”, she said.

A St John spokesperson in Perth said later that ambulance volunteers were expected to abide by a code of conduct and that serious breaches could result in termination.

The Herald reported in 2019 that Mr Wroth was sacked over claims that he made “inappropriate comments” at the Northam emergency services forum, “represented St John management in a negative manner” and made “disparaging remarks”, and “publicly undermined the community paramedic role”.

A complaint by Northam officials to Perth head office resulted in nine adverse findings.

Mr Love said later that he and two other WA Nationals MPs at the 13-member closed forum did not hear Mr Wroth say anything derogatory or offensive.

Parliamentary         inquiry Deputy Chair Colin de Grussa (WA Nationals, Agricultural) said he attended the Northam forum and told the inquiry that the sacking was “very disappointing” because he thought at the time that it was a “very good meeting”.

When asked by Mr de Grussa if his treatment by St John had affected other ambulance volunteers, Mr Wroth said he knew of “probably half a dozen very qualified ambulance officers that have resigned as a direct result of what happened to me”.

“Experience like that takes years and years to build up and learn, and to lose it like that is devastating,” Mr Wroth said.

“There is a lot of hurt out there in the volunteers.

“I am no orphan, I assure you, because since I was sacked, a lot of other volunteers from other sub-centres contacted me and said the same, they have been treated the same.

“But if they are not sacked, they are held under that tighter rein.

“They cannot speak up to anybody so it is pretty frightening that they cannot speak up because if they do, they will get the same treatment I did.”

Mr Wroth told the inquiry that a St John ban on Toodyay ambulance officers acting as “first responders” to attend emergency calls meant that patients who could get immediate first aid from volunteers who might live nearby now had to wait up to half an hour for help to arrive from elsewhere.

Volunteers designated as first responders with oxygen, defibrillators and other equipment at home had to return their kits and could now act only as a member of the public in emergency situations.

“If you are talking about a heart attack, chest pain or serious bleeding of some sort, it is too late by then,” Mr Wroth said.

“But if somebody can get there within five minutes, they can save lives.

“St John doesn’t recognise that any more.

“Ever since I was sacked, I have been called to many homes and I will go and help somebody before the ambulance arrives because it is that first few minutes that is going to save somebody’s life if they are critical.

“These people have the expertise but they have taken that away.”

Mr Wroth said it was frustrating that local non-operational volunteers on 24-hour rosters were no longer allowed to take emergency calls and dispatch ambulance crews to jobs – St John now required calls to be taken by paid staff or ambulance crews, which Mr Wroth said was a waste of ambulance crews’ time.

Mr Wroth said medical training was previously provided by community paramedics but ambulance volunteers were now “expected to train themselves”.

“The quality of training that these unqualified volunteers provide is substandard,” Mr Wroth said.

“Volunteers are less qualified than someone off the street who has done a first-aid course.
“The least St John could do is give them adequate training.”

Mr Wroth said regionalisation of local ambulance services to Northam had alienated local ambulance services.

“Often with St John they make changes without rhyme or reason,” he said.

“You do not get an opportunity to find out exactly why something has happened.

“It is more of a dictatorship: ‘This will be done’.

“A lot of the problems we have had at sub-centres is not getting any response from the hierarchy, from the management.

“So it is very frustrating when you raise issues and you do not hear a thing, and after three or four emails still nothing.

“That is still occurring today, according to volunteers.

“I cannot speak for all regional offices but I know from people who used to work at the Wheatbelt regional office that there is a real toxic culture there.

“And they are just so relieved, people who have been there quite a while, to be finally out of there.

“And that is pretty sad – they were the management.

“They were glad to get out of such a toxic culture.

“They did not want to go to work.

“The reason I was sacked was because I spoke up to raise concerns about the way volunteers are treated, and the way that the operation runs with regard to volunteers.

“Criticism that can be sensible and constructive and lead to healthy improvement of services is not tolerated.

“I have fallen victim to this intolerance.”

In response to a question from local Labor MP Darren West, Mr Wroth said the culture at St John had not changed since he was sacked two years ago.

“If anything, it has probably got worse,” he said.

“For locals to have to deal with St John at a regional or state level is an extremely frustrating waste of time and money.

“The level of bureaucracy within St John is really beyond belief.

“The mantra of first-aid delivery is based on the acronym DRABC – Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation – which most are familiar with.

“Within St John, the ‘B’ is said to stand for ‘billing’ because the organisation has a strong and possibly unhealthy focus on finances.

“This seems to compromise the focus on patients at times.

“In all, the culture in St John is probably a reflection of its board, with a couple of old ex-CEOs that just don’t want change or criticism and live in an old world.”

The inquiry is due to hear further evidence at the Toodyay ambulance depot at 1.30pm on Thursday November 4.

It is understood three senior St John staff from Perth are due to attend.

Mr Wroth suggested to the inquiry that they not be present when local ambulance volunteers give evidence “because, I assure you, people will not speak up about exactly what happened if there is staff or management present – yes, it will not happen.”

Inquiry Chair Pierre Yang (Labor, North Metropolitan) closed last month’s Perth hearing by thanking Mr Wroth “for your service to our community”.

Ms Hall said the area was a significant habitat for Black Cockatoos and Chuditch in a wheatbelt region that had undergone a high level of clearing.

“It is unacceptable that such an emphatic statement as the Powderbark Wandoos at the beginning of the flora-designated road should be demolished when there is an alternative,” Ms Hall said.

Acting Shire Planning and Development Manager Hugo de Vos told last month’s council meeting that there was no dispute about the need to upgrade Toodyay Road.

“The Shire of Toodyay has no decision-making authority in this case,” Mr de Voss said.
The work was being funded by Main Roads WA.

Local and State Government members had undertaken “significant” advocacy to “to take advantage of available funding to complete projects to the benefit of the community”.

Mr de Voss said ongoing opposition to the proposed works could result in Main Roads WA reconsidering the scope and “possible loss of funding for these works”.

Main Roads WA had to consider its own budgets and “ideally will develop a project which is addressing the environmental, economic and social elements of sustainable development”.

“Too often, however, the outcome is not a balanced one and it is the environment that makes way for a more dominant focus on economic and social impacts,” he said.

“The cost that the community bears is the loss of important environmental assets which, in the case of a 420-year-old tree, cannot be replaced quickly through the usual environmental offset process.

“Is there a better way that does not involve the loss of this vegetation?

“There may, or there may not be.”

Mr De Voss said the shire’s Environmental Advisory Committee had recommended that “further conversation” was needed.

“Importantly, it is a strong message that the council is giving to its community that it supports the environment and that this is a major part of who we are and what we stand for, and also that it is listening to the community and using its powers of advocacy to obtain better outcomes.”

The council voted 7-1 (Cr Susan Pearce against and Shire President Rosemary Madacsi on sick leave) to note Ms Hall’s submission and write to the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation “requesting further dialogue occurs about the planning to achieve an outcome balancing the preservation of natural assets with budget and design constraints”.

Main Roads WA said it had examined six design options for upgrading the Salt Valley Road intersection.

The final selection was based on “environmental, engineering and safety considerations”.
“The selected option results in reduced overall clearing of native vegetation, large habitat trees, Black Cockatoo foraging habitat and priority flora species compared to other options,” a spokesperson said.

“These comparisons were presented to the Project Community Reference Group which endorsed the preferred alignment.

“Main Roads is continuing to refine the road designs and is exploring options to avoid the two Powderbark Wandoo trees at the intersection while ensuring safety objectives and environmental approvals are met.”