Page 2146 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 5 June 2019
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(d) provide an update on Territory-wide planning for health infrastructure by the last sitting day in 2019.”.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (4.13): Health infrastructure is a vitally important part of our health system and contributes to the overall health and wellbeing of the Canberra community. Without state-of-the-art facilities, we cannot deliver the kind of care that the Canberra community needs and expects. Equally, as our city grows, we need to plan and invest for the inevitable growth in demand for health services, as well as maintaining our existing assets. That is the work that is underway at the moment and that the government has been delivering on over recent years.
In addition to significant investments in both the Canberra Hospital and Calvary Public Hospital, last year the ACT government opened the new University of Canberra Hospital, and works are underway to expand the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children.
We also have infrastructure needs in primary and community settings. The government has invested, and continues to invest, in building nurse-led walk-in centres across the city, a key commitment under the parliamentary agreement. At the weekend I was very pleased to see the announcement of the fifth walk-in centre here in the ACT, at Dickson, a service for the inner north conveniently located right in the heart of the Dickson group centre, conveniently within walking and cycling distance for many people in the region and close to public transport. I think it will be a well-appreciated service when it opens. I look forward to the one in Weston Creek opening later this year as well.
Having said all of that, there is, of course, more work to do. We can see in the budget an ongoing commitment to invest in health infrastructure through SPIRE, UMAHA and the expansion of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, including the establishment of an adolescent mental health inpatient unit and day program, which I will speak about more in a moment.
As Minister for Mental Health, I know the importance of continuing to invest in infrastructure to support our growing mental health service system. In last year’s budget we provided almost $23 million to build new supported accommodation homes for Canberrans experiencing mental illness who require long-term support. I was pleased to attend the launch of the first of those houses earlier this year.
This initiative also provided funding for a new step-up, step-down facility on the south side and refurbishment works at the extended care unit at Brian Hennessy House. The opening of the University of Canberra Hospital provided a new mental health rehabilitation unit with state-of-the-art facilities, as well as an expanded mental health day program based at the same facility.
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