Page 2903 - Week 10 - Thursday, 7 October 2021
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deliver the Canberra Hospital expansion, as we said we would do back when the announcement of the site was made in December 2018.
Over the last decade we have invested more than $1 billion in health infrastructure. This program is aligned with the community’s growing health needs and managed through a strategic asset management plan, territory-wide clinical services planning, risk management profiling and consultation with the community.
We have delivered many important health projects over recent years, including an entire new hospital at the University of Canberra in 2018. That never gets a mention from the opposition. There are new walk-in centres. They dare not mention those, Mr Assistant Speaker. There are new and upgraded mental health services; new cancer units; and, of course, I am very pleased that in this budget we are delivering a cancer research centre within the Canberra Region Cancer Centre to deliver a comprehensive cancer service and provide better access for Canberrans to clinical trials. Though not a huge capital investment, it is a very, very, important one in this budget.
We have spent tens of millions of dollars on upgrades to our critical health services as well; and we are expanding the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children with refurbishment works, including new and refurbished paediatric, administration and maternity areas, as well as the adolescent mental health unit.
But back to the Canberra Hospital expansion. A $624 million investment and several projects within this have already been delivered, including refurbishments of buildings across campus; a new Building 8, which houses the Canberra Sexual Health Centre and Surgical Training Centre; and early site works are well prepared for construction of the Critical Services Building, with the demolition of buildings 5 and 24 in progress. So Mrs Jones is gilding the lily again on that one.
This project will deliver 156 inpatient beds, including 60 ICU beds and, importantly, four paediatric ICU beds; 22 operating theatres; 147 emergency treatment spaces—72 more than are currently available at Canberra Hospital—55 day surgery beds; integrated radiology and medical imaging facilities; and greatly enhanced patient, carer and staff spaces for respite learning and meeting.
Sitting alongside that is the Canberra Hospital master plan, which will guide investments in the Canberra Hospital over the next 20 years. In this budget there is an investment in the development of a new multistorey car park, and we know how important parking is. That is some of the main feedback we have received on the Canberra Hospital master plan.
We have committed more than $1 million to develop feasibility and design options for an elective surgery centre at the University of Canberra campus and we will build a new north-side hospital, with construction to start by mid-decade. The planning for this project is well underway, with an additional $12 million allocated in this year’s budget.
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