Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to inform the House that construction has finally started on the Mossman aged-care facility. After more than two decades and many false starts, work on the proposed state-of-the-art facility finally kicked off yesterday. All of this was made possible after the Commonwealth government invested $3.4 million through the regional jobs and investment package to take the project from the drawing board to a reality, along with a commitment for some 42 beds. More than 40 much-needed jobs will be created during construction, and there will be many ongoing jobs as well. A development lease between the Salvation Army and the Douglas Shire Council was first agreed to in 2016. Progress stalled in March this year, when the initial construction company pulled out, which paved the way for Total Construction to take over the project. Once completed, the 42-bed centre will give priority to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as well as those who are financially and socially disadvantaged or people from rural and remote areas. The centre will also cater for people living with dementia.

I would like to pay special tribute to everyone who has played a role in the centre becoming a reality, including Dr Bob Lansky, former councillor Bob Gray, Marjorie Norris, Shirley Vico and Joan Gray. It has been a long journey, but this is a fantastic win for Mossman and the broader community. I'm certainly proud to have played a role in this very, very significant event.