St. John's Ambulance service in Australia is a hybrid of core paid positions and volunteers (varying by region and demand).

In rural Australia most of the fire, ambulance, and emergency response service are volunteer manned and (locally) run, with federal and state assistance for equipment and costs.

Costwise AU Ambulances are either free (if you're a St. John's member - cheap per annum OR if covered by private / work insurance) or (a decade out of date number) a flat fee of $500.