Page 1555 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 2012
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The government recognises that investment in productive infrastructure is important to support high quality service provision to the ACT community. Since 2002-03 the government has invested almost $2.8 billion in infrastructure improvements across the territory. An additional $1.7 billion is provided for investment in the territory’s infrastructure across the budget and forward estimates. Investment in health and education infrastructure has always been a focus for this government. We have invested in state-of-the-art schools and world-class health infrastructure that meets our needs for the next decade.
More than $1 billion has been committed to redevelop the territory’s health facilities and infrastructure. The government’s health infrastructure program is responding directly to growing service demand, including over the coming decade and beyond. Importantly, health infrastructure investment supports front-line health staff in delivering world-class and cutting-edge services to the Canberra community.
Technology and improved care models such as community post-hospital support and other step-up and step-down facilities are key features of this infrastructure investment. To meet the needs of our growing population, we have committed to building a new northside hospital. The government is also investing in a new women’s and children’s hospital, an acute mental health inpatient unit, community health centres in Gungahlin, Tuggeranong and Belconnen and a walk-in centre at the Canberra Hospital.
Innovative approaches to delivering services are also being funded by the government, with over $90 million committed for e-health initiatives. These investments aim to improve chronic disease management and, amongst other things, improve preventative health care, because prevention provides better overall quality of life for Canberrans and places downward pressure on health expenditure growth. I am sure that every member in the Assembly would agree with the benefits of preventative health care initiatives on a person’s quality of life. This also has the virtue of being a more fiscally sustainable approach for the community overall.
On the education front, over the past seven years $650 million has been invested in ACT public education infrastructure. We have invested in a modern, flexible and adaptable learning environment for our students. These high quality facilities also assist our teachers in providing innovative learning experiences for our children.
Over the past seven years, we have funded new state-of-the-art schools, including Harrison primary and secondary schools, Kingsford Smith school, the Gungahlin college and the Namadgi school. Over the past five years around $162 million has been invested in refurbishing and upgrading our school facilities. This protects our assets into the future and provides further support for high quality public education services.
To assist with skills training, we have invested around $10 million in new purpose built electro-technology training facilities at the CIT’s Fyshwick trades skills centre. This facility provides up-to-date training accommodation and equipment in the fast developing trade sectors.
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