From late September last year to early May, two paramedics were made available during the day to respond to call-outs, rather than the usual arrangement involving one paramedic with an ambulance community officer.

Ambulance community officers are first responders employed on a casual basis to provide advanced first aid in communities with low caseloads.

Read more: ‘Save our ambos’: Rochester residents worried about ambulance service

“Ambulance Victoria has evaluated data for this period and found no material difference in branch response time performance,” Loddon Mallee acting regional director Andy Roughton said.

The average response time to the most urgent call-outs in the last quarter of 2017-18 in Campaspe Shire was faster than both the previous quarter and the same quarter last year, with 68.2 per cent of Code 1 calls responded to within the 15-minute target.

But Campaspe Shire councillor for Rochester, Leigh Wilson, said he was not satisfied the data reflected what was happening on the ground.

Last month, dozens of Rochester residents rallied at the ambulance station in protest against the end of the two-paramedic system.

Cr Wilson said it was his understanding that Rochester paramedics covered a large area and provided backfill to other areas

He wants the state government to review the current classification of the Rochester ambulance station

A petition organised by a resident is also circulating, calling on the state government to take immediate steps to review the level of service in Rochester, in consultation with the community.

It is planned that Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh will table the petition in parliament next month.

Cr Wilson said Ambulance Victoria still had not provided a sufficient answer as to why the trial of the two-paramedic system began, and why it finished.

Mr Roughton said “an opportunity arose to temporarily place additional paramedics” in Rochester.