Wednesday, 15 May 2024

 Anthony CARBINES (Ivanhoe – Minister for Police, Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Racing) (09:48): I am pleased to inform the house that on Sunday we came together at the Austin Hospital with the Premier and also with the Minister for Health to announce a $275 million revamp, upgrade and expansion of the emergency department at the Austin Hospital. The current emergency department treats some 90,000 presentations a year. It was built to treat some 45,000, and this new investment of $275 million, which is delivering on an election commitment from the 2022 election, will see it able to cater for an additional 30,000 presentations on top of that 90,000 that are being treated today.

It was the Bracks Labor government that built two hospitals on one site, the Austin and Mercy hospitals, and not only made that investment, but we also saw the development of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre right alongside Austin Health under the Brumby government. It is great that here under the Allan Labor government we will see this $275 million expansion of the emergency department at Austin Health.

I want to thank the team at Austin Health for the great work that they provide in our community. It was those opposite under Premier Kennett who sought to privatise and sell the Austin Hospital and it was at that time that they lost the seat of Ivanhoe, and they have never regained it, because the people of Ivanhoe have never forgiven them and they never forget. It is always Labor governments that invest in our Austin Hospital.