❓ Question regarding the allocation of $49 million to the Geraldton Health Campus redevelopment project and how it will meet the community's future needs and expand services. The Minister's answer highlights the government's commitment, addresses delays, and outlines planned improvements.
AnsweredQoN 340Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GERALDTON HEALTH CAMPUS — REDEVELOPMENT
340. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to redeveloping
Geraldton Health Campus and delivering the single biggest investment in
this facility since that made by the Gallop Labor government in the early
2000s.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the additional $49 million announced in the
state budget will ensure that the hospital continues to meet the needs of the
local community into the future?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house of what new services will be delivered as part of the
hospital expansion?
340. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to redeveloping
Geraldton Health Campus and delivering the single biggest investment in
this facility since that made by the Gallop Labor government in the early
2000s.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the additional $49 million announced in the
state budget will ensure that the hospital continues to meet the needs of the
local community into the future?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house of what new services will be delivered as part of the
hospital expansion?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Geraldton for her question and for her long-term advocacy
for the redevelopment of this health campus.
It is an important strategic health campus for the midwest region and this
government is very pleased to announce an extra $49.4 million to bring
to $122 million the entire appropriation for the project to redevelop this
campus. We are absolutely committed to delivering for the people of the
midwest, and I can say that they have no better advocate than the member for
Geraldton.
This was committed to in 2017, before
we were elected to government, and stage 1 of the project was delivered in June
last year. The remaining stages of the precinct have been delayed due to
significant building and construction shortages, both labour and material. A
lot of this was exacerbated by cyclone Seroja and the priority for the region
is to allow those people to rebuild their residential homes and to use all the might of the building and construction
sector to rebuild their homes and their lives. But we are v ery pleased
to announce that an extra $49 million has been invested to see this project to
completion. Since it was the originally
costed, we have seen a significant increase in delivering building projects,
particularly in regional areas.
This
is part of the largest infrastructure program across the state, and it is the
largest infrastructure program that the public health system has ever
seen. The redevelopment will be incredibly important and will expand services
at the health campus, importantly. There will be a bigger emergency department.
I went there recently and met with a lot of fantastic and very excited staff,
including an emergency department registered
nurse who was delighted and relieved to see that the project had been given
extra funding. There will be a new
intensive care unit co-located with an expanded high-dependency unit. That is
important for attracting and retaining staff who want to train and stay
in their regional towns. They do not have to leave to increase their competency
and expand into intensivism.
Importantly, there will be a 12-bed
acute mental health unit, which will be a game changer for mental health in the midwest. People currently have to
travel to Perth to seek acute mental health treatment, so this is very, very important. It is not since the
Gallop government that Geraldton has seen this kind of investment . It
takes a Labor member and a Labor government to deliver this commitment.
Several members interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON : In the many,
many years of the previous government, and with the billions of dollars from royalties
for regions, it did nothing.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members!
Ms A. SANDERSON : The only
contribution that the Nationals WA has made to Geraldton was to provide a very
questionable candidate, who was previously in the upper house, to run in that
seat—a very questionable individual and candidate. Frankly, it brought
embarrassment to Geraldton. The previous government provided no investment in that local hospital. This is significant
investment in regional health care. In this budget alone, there is $ 158 million
across regional health care.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : I will tell the member for Moore what
we are doing: we are making the full commitment to Geraldton with $122 million,
not half a commitment to Geraldton like Melissa Price has made.
The SPEAKER : The member for
Vasse with the last question.
thank the member for Geraldton for her question and for her long-term advocacy
for the redevelopment of this health campus.
It is an important strategic health campus for the midwest region and this
government is very pleased to announce an extra $49.4 million to bring
to $122 million the entire appropriation for the project to redevelop this
campus. We are absolutely committed to delivering for the people of the
midwest, and I can say that they have no better advocate than the member for
Geraldton.
This was committed to in 2017, before
we were elected to government, and stage 1 of the project was delivered in June
last year. The remaining stages of the precinct have been delayed due to
significant building and construction shortages, both labour and material. A
lot of this was exacerbated by cyclone Seroja and the priority for the region
is to allow those people to rebuild their residential homes and to use all the might of the building and construction
sector to rebuild their homes and their lives. But we are v ery pleased
to announce that an extra $49 million has been invested to see this project to
completion. Since it was the originally
costed, we have seen a significant increase in delivering building projects,
particularly in regional areas.
This
is part of the largest infrastructure program across the state, and it is the
largest infrastructure program that the public health system has ever
seen. The redevelopment will be incredibly important and will expand services
at the health campus, importantly. There will be a bigger emergency department.
I went there recently and met with a lot of fantastic and very excited staff,
including an emergency department registered
nurse who was delighted and relieved to see that the project had been given
extra funding. There will be a new
intensive care unit co-located with an expanded high-dependency unit. That is
important for attracting and retaining staff who want to train and stay
in their regional towns. They do not have to leave to increase their competency
and expand into intensivism.
Importantly, there will be a 12-bed
acute mental health unit, which will be a game changer for mental health in the midwest. People currently have to
travel to Perth to seek acute mental health treatment, so this is very, very important. It is not since the
Gallop government that Geraldton has seen this kind of investment . It
takes a Labor member and a Labor government to deliver this commitment.
Several members interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON : In the many,
many years of the previous government, and with the billions of dollars from royalties
for regions, it did nothing.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members!
Ms A. SANDERSON : The only
contribution that the Nationals WA has made to Geraldton was to provide a very
questionable candidate, who was previously in the upper house, to run in that
seat—a very questionable individual and candidate. Frankly, it brought
embarrassment to Geraldton. The previous government provided no investment in that local hospital. This is significant
investment in regional health care. In this budget alone, there is $ 158 million
across regional health care.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : I will tell the member for Moore what
we are doing: we are making the full commitment to Geraldton with $122 million,
not half a commitment to Geraldton like Melissa Price has made.
The SPEAKER : The member for
Vasse with the last question.
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