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

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) The Government has committed $1.8 billion to regional health infrastructure through the Health and Hospitals Fund (HHF). Funding of $1.33 billion was announced in the 2011-12 Budget for 63 projects arising from the Regional Priority Round. A further $475 million has been committed to a further regional round to commence before the end of 2011.

(2) An initial allocation of $315 million was made at the 2010-11 Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook for the Royal Hobart and Port Macquarie Hospitals, subject to the HHF Advisory Board assessing these projects as eligible under the HHF evaluation criteria and Regional Priority Round additional guidance. This comprised $240 million for the Royal Hobart Hospital and $75 million for the Port Macquarie Hospital as follows:

The Government announced on 11 March 2011 that it would fund the Port Macquarie Hospital project at the $96 million assessed by the Board as eligible. This includes $75 million appropriated in the 2010-11 Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook and $21 million approved by the Acting Prime Minister on 10 March 2011, with this latter amount to be appropriated in the 2011-12 Budget.

The Government has announced the other projects to be funded under the Regional Priority Round and the funding profile is at page 218 of Budget Paper number 2.

(3) No. However, the grant guidelines provided for funding of RA1 proposals only where they would exclusively or predominantly service the health needs of regional patients.

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