p style=”text-align: justify”>It’s a pleasure to be here today to be part of the official opening of our brand new $55 million Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre.
This world-class facility, right here in Ballarat, will treat 800 additional patients locally, providing integrated care from early diagnosis through to treatment and recovery.
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I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather and pay respects to their elders both past and present :
• Federal Minister for Health & Medical Research, Tanya Plibersek
• Victorian Premier,. Denis Napthine
• Victorian Minister for Health, David Davis
• Ballarat Health Services Board President Andrew Faulland fellow board members;
• Ballarat Health Services CEO Andrew Rowe
• City of Ballarat Mayor John Burt
• The many clinicians, patients, friends and family joining us here.
It’s a pleasure to be here today to be part of the official opening of our brand new $55 million Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre.
This world-class facility, right here in Ballarat, will treat 800 additional patients locally, providing integrated care from early diagnosis through to treatment and recovery.
It will improve the experiences and outcomes for patients and their families in the region, and support them during a time of challenge – removing the need for many to travel to Melbourne or elsewhere for specialist treatment.
There are few of us who have not been touched by cancer – either directly or indirectly, through the experiences of loved ones, family and friends.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia – in Victoria alone we are currently losing 11,000 people to cancer each year. However, through early detection and treatment – survival rates have increased steadily over time – saving thousands of lives.
Research has indentified that survival rates for cancer patients in rural and regional areas are poorer than those in metropolitan areas, with the gap in treatment outcomes increasing in step with distance from a metropolitan area.
The Rudd Labor Government responded to this research and announced that we would establish a network of Regional Cancer Centres via a competitive funding program from the Health and Hospitals Fund.
Ballarat Health Services, St John of God Hospital and Austin Health submitted a stand-out submission, and it was not that very long ago we were across at the Education Centre to welcome former Health Ministers’ Nicola Roxon and Daniel Andrews announcing that the Federal and State Labor Governments would provide $42 million and $13 million respectively to build the centre.
However, it wasn’t just governments and our local health services that got behind this project – it was, in fact, the entire Ballarat community who wrote letters and petitioned for this facility – several hundred in fact. People undergoing treatment, family members who had lost people deeply loved (Lucas Ellis), cancer survivors and their families – this facility is here because of them.
I’d also like to make special mention of the hard work and commitment to this project of former Member for Ballarat West, Karen Overington. I’m sure Karen would be extremely proud if she could have been with us today.
This is a proud day – there are not too many projects that you are involved in that will literally save lives – this will. It marks a turning point where we as a community can begin to close the gap in cancer outcomes between city and country.
Thank you.