Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kennedy for this question because it is a very real issue for regional communities, who can rest assured that there is not a single thing in our plan which will require the closure of any hospital across the country. In fact, quite to the contrary, what this plan will do is see the Commonwealth step up to shoulder the major burden of responsibility for funding hospital services. When you look not only at the extra funding of hospital services but also the autonomy that we are seeking to give to local communities to be able to make decisions which are closer to home—whether it is in Mt Isa or Cloncurry or in the examples that the member for Kennedy used—so that services can be planned within very vast but often not very populated regions, it will make sure that health services can be delivered to communities when and where they need them.

Add this part of the package that was announced 10 days ago to the very important package which was announced today, which is particularly targeting the shortage of both GPs and medical specialists in rural and regional Australia, and add on top of that the rural health incentives that were in last year’s budget and come online on 1 July, and you can see that there is a lot of good news for regional Australia. I understand that it is a lot of good news that has been long time coming. It will take a lot of effort and energy from people on this side of House, and from our doctors, nurses and local administrators across the country, to make sure that these incentives are taken advantage of and that we are able to plan decent services in communities like the examples that have been raised by the member for Kennedy.

I am very proud of how this package actually secures funding for the first time in a long time, with the Commonwealth shouldering the vast burden of responsibility for that. We are prepared to step into that gap. We are prepared to make sure that regional Queensland, regional New South Wales, regional Western Australia, regional South Australia and all of the regional communities across the country actually get the services that they deserve. It is important to make sure that they can get services outside hospital and it is important to make sure they can access services in a hospital when they are needed. This plan makes that possible and sustainable into the future.

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