Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As Australians, it is our duty to care for the elderly, the infirm and those who cannot look after themselves later in life. I am pleased to advise that Bedingfeld Park, an assisted living centre in Pinjarra, received funding for an additional 25 beds under the 2016-17 Aged Care Approvals Round. This is a long-awaited announcement.

Bedingfeld Park is the only assisted living facility in Pinjarra, one of the towns in my electorate only 86 kilometres from the Perth CBD with a population of over 4000 people. Since 2014 the Bedingfeld executive has been fighting for ACAR funding without success. I know the former member for Canning, the late Don Randall, worked tirelessly for Bedingfeld to be classified as rural for the purposes of ACAR so that it could compete for funding on a level playing field. While this did not eventuate, it is great to see Bedingfeld has finally been recognised for its proposed riverside project, which will provide specialised dementia and respite care for residents in Pinjarra and its surrounds.

Elderly residents in regional and rural areas like Pinjarra face greater challenges than their metropolitan counterparts when seeking aged care. They often have to move out of town to find adequate services, meaning that they leave behind their community, their networks and their families. This funding represents an increase in Bedingfeld's capacity of more than 50 per cent, allowing more families to access the care they need without having to move to the city. By making the transition into aged care easier for residents, this government is fulfilling its commitment to—(Time expired)