Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our community has received some terrific news—that the Queensland Palaszczuk government has announced that it will deliver a new 174-bed public hospital in Springfield to cater for the rapidly growing population in the greater Ipswich region. This is a game changer for our community. The new Mater public hospital at Springfield will include an emergency department, an intensive care unit, maternity services and more procedural areas. Greater Ipswich is one of Australia's fastest growing regions and it has an ever-increasing demand for public health services. The population in the western corridor is projected to grow by 37 per cent by 2031, which is 11 per cent higher than the state population growth. That means an extra 100,000 people will call the Springfield and Ripley Valley region home in the next five years.

I'd like to thank the Premier and her government for this important investment in our community and particularly the local state member and assistant minister to the Treasurer, Mrs Charis Mullen. Charis is a tireless advocate for her community, and this investment is just further proof that she gets results for her community in the electorate of Jordan. Importantly, this project is shovel-ready, with Mater expected to be in a position to deliver it by the end of 2024. Finally, it will deliver a major economic boost for the booming region, creating more than 700 jobs during construction and more than 1,000 new frontline health jobs once operational.