❓ Ms. Dalton questions the Minister for Health about the Geraldton Health Campus redevelopment and regional healthcare improvements. The Minister details project progress, challenges, and benefits, while also highlighting other regional health investments.
AnsweredQoN 26Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GERALDTON HEALTH CAMPUS —
REDEVELOPMENT
26. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Health:
My question is not about ham
sandwiches. I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to
redevelop Geraldton Health Campus.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this important redevelopment will improve
healthcare services for the Geraldton community and provide midwest residents
with safe and efficient care closer to home?
(2) Can the
minister update the house on this Labor government's record of
delivering better services and infrastructure for people living in the regions?
REDEVELOPMENT
26. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Health:
My question is not about ham
sandwiches. I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to
redevelop Geraldton Health Campus.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this important redevelopment will improve
healthcare services for the Geraldton community and provide midwest residents
with safe and efficient care closer to home?
(2) Can the
minister update the house on this Labor government's record of
delivering better services and infrastructure for people living in the regions?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Geraldton for her question. The last redevelopment that
the Geraldton Health Campus experienced was under the Gallop Labor government.
It is the McGowan and Cook governments that will deliver the next redevelopment
and the next iteration of that campus. It is a busy, busy hospital. It is one
of our busiest regional hospitals, and I acknowledge and commend all the staff
who work at Geraldton Health Campus. It has been a very challenging
construction market and environment. The first round of tenders did not receive
interest because of a very stretched market. Of course, we also had cyclone
Seroja go through the midwest and that sucked up all the local construction
capacity to essentially deliver houses, which was a priority. I was pleased to
go to Geraldton at the end of last year, where I announced that under the second round of tenders, Multiplex had been
appointed as the contractor to deliver the
redevelopment. We have a lot of faith in Multiplex. It is a longstanding
partner with the WA government, particularly in health, and it has an enormous
amount of experience in redeveloping live assets. Redeveloping a very busy regional hospital while keeping
everything open and running is a highly complex and carefully staged
project. This will be incredible for Geraldton. It is a complex project. It
will be delivered as quickly as possible, and stage 1, which is already
completed, was obviously that extra car parking.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Is that
funny?
Mr R.S. Love : We know it's
a car park. It's been there for a long time.
Ms R. Saffioti : A couple of
years.
Mr R.S. Love : You didn't
do anything to it.
Ms A. SANDERSON : You did not
expand the car park.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : Ask anyone
who goes to hospital how important it is to have a car park.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Minister!
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
The SPEAKER : Premier! This
question was asked by the member for Geraldton, and it is being answered by the
Minister for Health.
Ms A. SANDERSON : The Liberals
and Nationals did nothing with Geraldton Health Campus—for the eight
and a half years they were in government, not a single thing! The hypocrisy
from that side is outrageous and the community sees through them.
This construction, the new
redevelopment, will expand the emergency department. It is a busy emergency department. It will have a new ICU and
high-dependency unit and, really importantly and excitingly for the Geraldton community, a new inpatient mental health unit that will integrate with the
step-up, step-down service that was opened by this Labor government as well. It
is an incredibly important development for Geraldton and signals the enormous
amount of industry interested in starting in the midwest. It will be critical
to the energy transition that the midwest
and Geraldton are good places to live and to bring a family or relocate to.
This is part of an over $ 6 billion asset investment program this
government has undertaken, which includes the brand new Newman Health Service;
the redevelopment of the Newman Hospital was delivered and opened last year.
The radiation oncology service was opened in Albany last year, with the member
for Albany in attendance. We know that the community loves that service, and
what an asset it is to that facility. We have upgraded the birthing suites in
Broome, including waterbirth facilities. For the first time, women in Broome
have access to a waterbirth supported by midwives.
Mr P.J. Rundle : What about
Carnarvon?
Ms A. SANDERSON : It includes
upgrading outdoor spaces for women to labour and birth. We have delivered upgrades to Dongara Health Centre. Collie Hospital—the
member for Collie–Preston is unfortunately unable to be here
today—has incredible new theatre capacity.
Mr R.H. Cook : We've
upgraded Carnarvon, too, by the way.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Yes, we have
upgraded Carnarvon. We have delivered upgrades to the emergency departments at Plantagenet, Cranbrook, Boddington,
Dalwallinu and Wongan Hills and we have added 30 beds to Bunbury
Hospital and will deliver a major redevelopment at Bunbury Hospital. It is this
Labor government that is investing in record amounts of infrastructure upgrades
for regional Western Australians, and we have doubled the cancer services in
regional Western Australia since we have come to government.
thank the member for Geraldton for her question. The last redevelopment that
the Geraldton Health Campus experienced was under the Gallop Labor government.
It is the McGowan and Cook governments that will deliver the next redevelopment
and the next iteration of that campus. It is a busy, busy hospital. It is one
of our busiest regional hospitals, and I acknowledge and commend all the staff
who work at Geraldton Health Campus. It has been a very challenging
construction market and environment. The first round of tenders did not receive
interest because of a very stretched market. Of course, we also had cyclone
Seroja go through the midwest and that sucked up all the local construction
capacity to essentially deliver houses, which was a priority. I was pleased to
go to Geraldton at the end of last year, where I announced that under the second round of tenders, Multiplex had been
appointed as the contractor to deliver the
redevelopment. We have a lot of faith in Multiplex. It is a longstanding
partner with the WA government, particularly in health, and it has an enormous
amount of experience in redeveloping live assets. Redeveloping a very busy regional hospital while keeping
everything open and running is a highly complex and carefully staged
project. This will be incredible for Geraldton. It is a complex project. It
will be delivered as quickly as possible, and stage 1, which is already
completed, was obviously that extra car parking.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Is that
funny?
Mr R.S. Love : We know it's
a car park. It's been there for a long time.
Ms R. Saffioti : A couple of
years.
Mr R.S. Love : You didn't
do anything to it.
Ms A. SANDERSON : You did not
expand the car park.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : Ask anyone
who goes to hospital how important it is to have a car park.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Minister!
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
The SPEAKER : Premier! This
question was asked by the member for Geraldton, and it is being answered by the
Minister for Health.
Ms A. SANDERSON : The Liberals
and Nationals did nothing with Geraldton Health Campus—for the eight
and a half years they were in government, not a single thing! The hypocrisy
from that side is outrageous and the community sees through them.
This construction, the new
redevelopment, will expand the emergency department. It is a busy emergency department. It will have a new ICU and
high-dependency unit and, really importantly and excitingly for the Geraldton community, a new inpatient mental health unit that will integrate with the
step-up, step-down service that was opened by this Labor government as well. It
is an incredibly important development for Geraldton and signals the enormous
amount of industry interested in starting in the midwest. It will be critical
to the energy transition that the midwest
and Geraldton are good places to live and to bring a family or relocate to.
This is part of an over $ 6 billion asset investment program this
government has undertaken, which includes the brand new Newman Health Service;
the redevelopment of the Newman Hospital was delivered and opened last year.
The radiation oncology service was opened in Albany last year, with the member
for Albany in attendance. We know that the community loves that service, and
what an asset it is to that facility. We have upgraded the birthing suites in
Broome, including waterbirth facilities. For the first time, women in Broome
have access to a waterbirth supported by midwives.
Mr P.J. Rundle : What about
Carnarvon?
Ms A. SANDERSON : It includes
upgrading outdoor spaces for women to labour and birth. We have delivered upgrades to Dongara Health Centre. Collie Hospital—the
member for Collie–Preston is unfortunately unable to be here
today—has incredible new theatre capacity.
Mr R.H. Cook : We've
upgraded Carnarvon, too, by the way.
Ms A. SANDERSON : Yes, we have
upgraded Carnarvon. We have delivered upgrades to the emergency departments at Plantagenet, Cranbrook, Boddington,
Dalwallinu and Wongan Hills and we have added 30 beds to Bunbury
Hospital and will deliver a major redevelopment at Bunbury Hospital. It is this
Labor government that is investing in record amounts of infrastructure upgrades
for regional Western Australians, and we have doubled the cancer services in
regional Western Australia since we have come to government.
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