BILL SHORTEN MP
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
CATHERINE KING MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND MEDICARE
JULIE COLLINS MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGEING AND MENTAL HEALTH
RICHARD PASCOE
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR HINKLER
ZAC BEERS
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR FLYNN
LABOR WILL BUILD NEW COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTRE IN BUNDABERG
A Shorten Labor Government will improve mental health services in Queensland’s Wide Bay region by building a dedicated community mental health centre in Bundaberg.
Labor will invest $15.7 million to construct the new building to accommodate rapidly expanding community mental health services in Bundaberg.
This is part of Labor’s Fair Go Action Plan to protect Medicare and fix our hospitals.
While funding for mental health services for this region has been growing, additional clinical and office space is needed for that growth to continue.
This new community mental health centre will enable the expansion of services and deliver a more consumer-friendly environment than hospital-based services. The centre will have clinical areas suitable for children, the elderly and people who need alcohol and drug services.
Labor’s investment will also include the refurbishment of the area within the Bundaberg Hospital Acute Mental Health unit vacated by child mental health services, to provide four additional acute beds.
Bundaberg and the Wide Bay region are growing, placing increasing demand on local health services. Demographically it is considered a “high needs” area given its population is ageing and has more complex health requirements than most.
That’s why we’re making this investment.
Labor believes every Australian should get the best quality health care whenever they need it – no matter if you live in Brisbane or regional Queensland.
The Liberals on the other hand just cut and cut and cut from health. As Treasurer, Scott Morrison cut from health and hospitals in every Budget he authored.
His government has cut $3 million from Bundaberg Hospital under the current 2017 to 2020 funding agreement.
That’s equivalent to 4,500 emergency department visits or 7,300 outpatient appointments. And it’s part of a $160m cut to Queensland hospitals, and a $715m cut nationwide.
Now Morrison is trying to lock in those cuts for another five years – a dud deal that the Queensland Labor Government is resisting.
Labor will reverse the Liberal cuts with our $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund, which we will use to build this new community mental health centre for the people of Bundaberg.
Labor can afford to build a new mental health centre in Bundaberg, because we are tackling unfair tax loopholes and making multinationals pay their fair share.
Only Labor can be trusted to fix Queensland’s hospitals and health system.
MONDAY, 21 JANUARY 2019