Page 146 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 February 2018
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(h) upgrades to the Dickson Health Centre through the 2016-17 Budget; and
(i) $17.3 million for significant upgrades to acute aged care and cancer facilities at TCH.
Canberra is growing—faster than anywhere else in the country, in fact. Our population is sitting at around 409,000 and growing by 600 people a year. The trend is set to continue, and it is hardly surprising. With excellent work and study opportunities, thriving arts and hospitality scenes and some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes on our doorstep, Canberra is an incredible place to live. It is little wonder that people are moving here in droves and staying here to raise families.
Of course, one of the most important government services to support the safety and health of our region is our health system. We are a great place to live in that regard, too. Canberra is one of the healthiest cities in Australia. We have the highest life expectancy, our kids have the equal lowest obesity rates, we have a lower incidence of nearly all cancers and we lead the nation in immunisation coverage across all age groups. When someone in our community does happen to get sick, they can call on our world-class health system to help them get better.
Last year ACT Health treated over 100,000 patients, and our services are seeing great improvements. ED waiting times are decreasing and the number of GPs that bulk-bill is increasing. The number of hospital beds in the ACT has increased significantly over recent years and we have more nurses, more midwives and more medical practitioners per head of population than the national average.
We are dedicated to bringing about even more improvements in health care for our community. That is why the ACT government is investing in an innovative and effective healthcare system that will serve the growing Canberra community now and into the future. Our health system is based on a strong network of health infrastructure to ensure all Canberrans have access to the day-to-day medical care that they need, as well as world-class hospital services for more complex issues. We are improving existing facilities, opening new health services and reducing wait times to better serve the Canberra community.
We will invest $95.3 million in infrastructure improvements and maintenance through the upgrading and maintaining ACT Health assets project. This significant commitment of funds clearly recognises the importance of ensuring that our existing infrastructure is properly looked after and continues to perform at the highest level. The government is also committed to bringing in new technology and resources to Canberra to ensure our health system keeps pace with community expectations and medical advancements.
I am extremely proud of the progress we are making in building the $212 million UC public hospital, delivering world-class rehabilitation health services in my electorate. The hospital will be Canberra’s first dedicated rehabilitation hospital, encompassing both physical and mental rehabilitation services. Construction of the hospital is at full steam and we committed $16.1 million in this year’s budget to ensure the hospital is ready to open its doors later this year. I was delighted to visit it a
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