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

I can briefly answer that question. I am conscious that there are a lot of people who want to ask questions and we will turn through them as quickly as we can to make sure that we answer as many as possible. Yes, of course, I am aware of the superclinic that is being built in Palmerston and the after-hours services that are being provided. I am very aware from representations both from the member for Solomon and from the member for Lingiari, who was here, that there is interest in a further expansion of both GP superclinics and other primary care facilities within the Northern Territory. Of course, the Northern Territory has benefited significantly from our investments in health reform with more than $100 million being invested in the Territory. In particular, one of the highlights is nearly $30 million which is going to the first ever medical school in the Northern Territory.

We have included in this budget an item that the opposition to date has not asked questions about and that is an extra $355 million into expanding the GP superclinics program, but also providing infrastructure support for more than 400 GP clinics across the country. We know that there is a need for more of the large ambulatory care facilities that many superclinics are going to be able to provide. There is also a need for good solid general practice providers who want to expand their services—maybe with a practice nurse or a dietician or a podiatrist—or want to be able to take more GP registrars, for example. Often they cannot do that without expanding their physical infrastructure. So grants of up to half a million dollars are going to be available for these projects on a competitive basis. We are no doubt going to receive those sorts of applications from the Northern Territory. They will be available for Aboriginal medical services and community health providers as well. It is a good opportunity for those services that want to expand and have the capacity to expand, and might want to train more health professionals, to be able to seize that opportunity.

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