No. 16 
New Cancer Centre and Community Health facilities delivered in Budget

ACT Minister for Health, Katy Gallagher, today announced a number of new infrastructure projects to be delivered through the 2010-11 ACT Budget that progress the Government’s commitment to rebuild our healthcare system from the ground up.

The funded initiatives include $27.9 million for a new Integrated Cancer Centre, $14 million to expand and refurbish the Tuggeranong Health Centre, and $19.117 million in additional funding to support the redevelopment of our healthcare system.

These initiatives build on the already significant contribution by the Government towards the redevelopment of the ACT public health system under the Your Health Our Priority program.  

“Over the past two budgets, the Government has committed nearly $430 million towards a range of projects under Your Health Our Priority, including a new Women and Children’s Hospital, new Community Health Centres at Belconnen and Gungahlin, a new Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit, and more beds and operating theatres.  These 2010-11 initiatives continue and extend this commitment,” Ms Gallagher said.

“The $14 million allocated for Stage 2 redevelopment works at the Tuggeranong Health Centre in this Budget will enable the significant expansion and refurbishment of the health facility,” she said.

“We’re expanding existing services and adding new services to ensure the refurbished facility provides high quality, coordinated, accessible services that meet the highest priority health needs of the local community.

“Expansion of Community Health Centres across the Territory is a key feature of the Government’s commitment to free up valuable clinical space at public hospitals, and to provide services closer to where people live.

“Services that may be relocated from the hospital to the expanded Tuggeranong Community Health Centre include renal dialysis services and speciality outpatient services.

“We will also move to construct Stage 1 of the Capital Region Cancer Centre for the ACT - a project already endorsed and fully funded by the Commonwealth Government.

“This will improve cancer services by bringing together the disparate array of clinical and support services that constitute cancer care into a more patient centred environment built around the recently expanded and refurbished Radiation Oncology facility at Canberra Hospital,” Ms Gallagher said.

4 May 2010
Media Contact: 	Kathryn Robert   		6205 0242 (w)   0402 399 907 (m)
	kathryn.roberts@act.gov.au