❓ The Minister for Health responds to questions regarding the redevelopment of Geraldton Health Campus, highlighting the government's commitment, the progress of the project, and the expansion of services it will provide. The Minister avoids directly comparing investment with the previous government.
AnsweredQoN 15Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GERALDTON HEALTH CAMPUS — REDEVELOPMENT
15. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to redevelop Geraldton Health Campus.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this redevelopment will improve healthcare
services to the Geraldton community?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this investment at Geraldton hospital compares
with that of the former Liberal–National government?
15. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to redevelop Geraldton Health Campus.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this redevelopment will improve healthcare
services to the Geraldton community?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this investment at Geraldton hospital compares
with that of the former Liberal–National government?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Geraldton for her question and for her ongoing advocacy
for this incredibly important project for not just her local community, but the
midwest region, and also for supporting the Gascoyne. There is no doubt about
that. As a cabinet it was our pleasure to be in Geraldton last week with the
member and, of course, the Premier, and to see firsthand the member for
Geraldton's deep connection to her community, her ongoing advocacy and
her good relationships with and support for her community and those who deliver
important services.
I am very pleased that I was able to
get to the health campus—I have visited there previously—and
also meet with a number of local community members, senior members and shire
councillors to discuss Geraldton Health Campus. We met with Ross McKim, the CEO
of the City of Greater Geraldton, local councillors and Dr Ian Taylor, a very
experienced GP obstetrician, who also has recruited his son to be a local GP
obstetrician. I said, ''Thank you very much. Have you got any more?''
He has given decades of service to that community, and those regional hospitals
are held together by those specialist GPs in particular, and the staff.
I am pleased to inform the house that
the expression of interest for the redevelopment of stage 2 of the campus was
very successful, with three significant construction companies expressing an
interest— Multiplex, Lendlease and
ADCO. They are all very reputable builders and are going through the Department of Finance process to determine who is invited to the next stage of the tender
process. I have a lot of confidence in this project and that we will see a delivery
of the project imminently.
It has certainly been challenging.
The project saw a significant increase in construction costs. As we have seen,
that region in particular is challenged by construction costs more than others
because of cyclone Seroja and the pressure on those companies and the staff
that support them, in both the commercial area and across to the residential
sector as well.
The government has already delivered
the enabling works for that project, which is a fantastic car park. If members
ask patients at any hospital in the state what they want to see improved in
their hospitals, car parks are usually in the top two or three, so the
government is very happy to deliver that. That will also provide the enabling
works. There will be an expansion of services in that region. That is why we
are prioritising this project in that
region. It will be not only state-of-the-art infrastructure, but also an
expansion of services for the entire region. That will include an
expanded emergency department, a new ICU with a high-dependency unit and an
integrated inpatient acute mental health unit that will work in lockstep with
the step-up, step-down program that the government also delivered in Geraldton.
This is the biggest investment in that healthcare sector in the midwest region
since the former Labor government, led by Geoff Gallop, a Geraldton local
himself. I look forward to continuing to deliver this important project that
will support the whole midwest region.
thank the member for Geraldton for her question and for her ongoing advocacy
for this incredibly important project for not just her local community, but the
midwest region, and also for supporting the Gascoyne. There is no doubt about
that. As a cabinet it was our pleasure to be in Geraldton last week with the
member and, of course, the Premier, and to see firsthand the member for
Geraldton's deep connection to her community, her ongoing advocacy and
her good relationships with and support for her community and those who deliver
important services.
I am very pleased that I was able to
get to the health campus—I have visited there previously—and
also meet with a number of local community members, senior members and shire
councillors to discuss Geraldton Health Campus. We met with Ross McKim, the CEO
of the City of Greater Geraldton, local councillors and Dr Ian Taylor, a very
experienced GP obstetrician, who also has recruited his son to be a local GP
obstetrician. I said, ''Thank you very much. Have you got any more?''
He has given decades of service to that community, and those regional hospitals
are held together by those specialist GPs in particular, and the staff.
I am pleased to inform the house that
the expression of interest for the redevelopment of stage 2 of the campus was
very successful, with three significant construction companies expressing an
interest— Multiplex, Lendlease and
ADCO. They are all very reputable builders and are going through the Department of Finance process to determine who is invited to the next stage of the tender
process. I have a lot of confidence in this project and that we will see a delivery
of the project imminently.
It has certainly been challenging.
The project saw a significant increase in construction costs. As we have seen,
that region in particular is challenged by construction costs more than others
because of cyclone Seroja and the pressure on those companies and the staff
that support them, in both the commercial area and across to the residential
sector as well.
The government has already delivered
the enabling works for that project, which is a fantastic car park. If members
ask patients at any hospital in the state what they want to see improved in
their hospitals, car parks are usually in the top two or three, so the
government is very happy to deliver that. That will also provide the enabling
works. There will be an expansion of services in that region. That is why we
are prioritising this project in that
region. It will be not only state-of-the-art infrastructure, but also an
expansion of services for the entire region. That will include an
expanded emergency department, a new ICU with a high-dependency unit and an
integrated inpatient acute mental health unit that will work in lockstep with
the step-up, step-down program that the government also delivered in Geraldton.
This is the biggest investment in that healthcare sector in the midwest region
since the former Labor government, led by Geoff Gallop, a Geraldton local
himself. I look forward to continuing to deliver this important project that
will support the whole midwest region.
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