UPDATE: Added comments from the Canberra Liberals.
Public hospitals and community health facilities are the focus of the health update to the 2019 ACT Infrastructure Plan released today, Chief Minister Andrew Barr states.
It is the second of seven updates to the Infrastructure Plan the ACT Government will release this year and ahead of next year’s budget in June: “A very clear pipeline for our infrastructure programs in the short, medium, and long-term,” Mr Barr said.
But the Canberra Liberals doubt whether the ACT Government can deliver the projects on time or on budget.
Canberrans enjoy good health and one of the highest life expectancies in the world, the Update states – but chronic conditions (such as cancer, type two diabetes, and cardiovascular disease) are becoming more common as the population ages. Over the last decade, the Update states, the government has invested $1.7 billion in health infrastructure to make sure that the health system meets community needs.
The biggest item in the Update is $660 million for the redevelopment of Canberra Hospital campus, which the ACT government states is one of the biggest investments in health care infrastructure since self-government in 1989. The new Critical Services Building will open next year. The Canberra Hospital Master Plan also includes a new pathology building ($17.9 million); an acute palliative care ward ($15.5 million); upgraded endoscopy suites ($8.5 million); and car parks on Yamba Drive ($3.8 million).
The Update also includes $64.2 million to design the new northside hospital, to be built on the site of North Canberra Hospital (formerly known, until yesterday, as Calvary Public Hospital Bruce). Construction of the $1 billion hospital will begin mid-decade.
“These are all major investments in our public health facilities that are all ageing at the same time,” health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said.
“But they need to be complemented by investment in the community. We’re moving our health system towards keeping people well in the community and reducing pressure on our public hospitals, where we can. We’ve got an ageing population and an increased incidence of chronic illness and people who have complex, multifaceted conditions that require a multidisciplinary team approach to supporting those people to keep them well in the community.”
To that end, the Update includes $16.6 million to build new community-based health centres in South Tuggeranong (Conder), North Gungahlin (Casey), West Belconnen (Ginninderry), and the Inner South (Griffith). These were ACT government election commitments in 2020.
“Our current community health centres are really bursting at the seams,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “We need to put our fantastic health professionals, our nurses, our allied health professionals, and some of our specialist services … closer to where people live.”
None of these sites have a community-based multidisciplinary health facility, the health minister said. South Tuggeranong has an ageing, poor population, and many residents do not travel even into the Tuggeranong town centre, Ms Stephen-Smith said. North Gungahlin is rapidly growing, and has a lot of young families, but lacks access to health services (including GPs). While Belconnen town centre has a child and family centre, a walk-in centre, and a community health centre, West Belconnen will need new health infrastructure in its own right as it grows. The Inner South does not have a community health centre.
Other investments include $49 million to set up new youth mental health and alcohol and drug rehabilitation facilities (including residential rehab for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, run by Winnunga Nimmityjah) at the Watson Health Precinct.
To pay for the infrastructure, Mr Barr explained, the ACT government adopts four strategies: operating cash surplus in the budget; selling assets (chiefly land); borrowing (especially for infrastructure that has a multi-generational lifespan); or Commonwealth Government partnerships.
In the case of Canberra Hospital, which will be around for 50 to 100 years, Mr Barr said, the government “believes it is appropriate for not just one generation of taxpayers to pay for it upfront, but to borrow and spread the cost over the lifetime of the asset”.
Canberra Liberals MLA Leanne Castley, Shadow Minister for Health, said: “The Canberra Liberals welcome more investment in infrastructure for the ACT.
“It is disappointing to see up to 19 projects delayed in the most recent budget, which goes to show that this government cannot be trusted to deliver these projects on time.
“We also know that this government has reduced funding to major infrastructure announcements in health, such as the SPIRE project, which was also announced as an expansion to the Canberra hospital campus.
“This plan also reveals that the Labor-Greens government will fail to deliver the palliative care ward and upgrade of endoscopy suites in this term of government.
“The Barr-Rattenbury government announces major infrastructure projects and election commitments to much fanfare, yet they consistently fail to meet their own deadlines and budgets.”
“We also know that this government have reduced funding to major infrastructure announcements in health such as the SPIRE project which was also announced as an expansion to the Canberra hospital campus.”
“This plan also reveals that the Labor-Greens government will fail to deliver the palliative care ward and upgrade of endoscopy suites in this term of government.”
“The Barr-Rattenbury government announces major infrastructure projects and election commitments to much fanfare yet they consistently fail to meet their own deadlines and budgets.”
