Page 728 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 17 March 2015
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rehabilitation services. I know, for example, there is a lot of interest in new hydrotherapy facilities in Canberra and a new hydrotherapy pool, which is so important for people with mobility problems to get that form of rehabilitation exercise. New hydrotherapy facilities will be provided at the University of Canberra public hospital.
The focus is very much on creating a more home-like environment. Obviously, this facility will be delivering a range of clinical services, but if it can be done in a much more friendly and less clinical environment then that is also conducive to people’s rehabilitation. In addition to the hydrotherapy services that I mentioned, there will be physiotherapy services, psychiatric rehabilitation services, speech pathology and exercise physiology, among many other services.
There is also a strong focus on integration with the University of Canberra itself. The Chief Minister has made clear the importance of strengthening our engagement as a government and a community with our tertiary education sector, the opportunities for economic growth and development, jobs and innovation as a result of partnering with our tertiary research and education institutions. At the University of Canberra we have a great example of this policy being put into action. This is providing confidence at a time when the Abbott government is slashing and undermining certainty in the funding environment for research, for our tertiary education institutions. We are providing confidence for the University of Canberra to invest, grow and develop its campus.
I was very pleased to be with the vice-chancellor at the launch on Monday. The vice-chancellor spoke very strongly of the importance of this project for the university and for its future growth and integration with its education and research activities. It is a very, very important project for Canberra.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, how does the University of Canberra public hospital fit into the ACT’s wider health system?
MR CORBELL: Thank you to Ms Porter for the supplementary. It fits in in the context of a growing and ageing population. The number of people over the age of 65 is set to double between now and 2062, so we need to plan for that change. This is designed to shift the emphasis of subacute care away from the Canberra Hospital, and away from Calvary public, to a lesser degree, and to provide it in a dedicated environment, in a dedicated purpose-built building that can deliver those subacute services that people need. This, of course, allows our acute service delivery centres—the Canberra Hospital, with tertiary, trauma and emergency care, and Calvary hospital, with complementary services, where appropriate, with TCH—to focus on those areas of service delivery as we continue to see significant demand in those areas and we create a purpose-built capability for subacute care.
I have talked about the more domestic-like environment we want to try and achieve at UCPH. I have talked about the research centre and opportunities for academics and students in allied health professions and in the nursing profession—being able to
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