Tuesday, 15 October 2024

 Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (13:10): I recently had the pleasure of joining the outstanding Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure Delivery at the redevelopment site of Frankston Hospital. I was absolutely shattered that I did not get to ride on the coat-tails of the member for Frankston, who has been a huge, tireless advocate for this redevelopment. This project has significant benefit for the Mordialloc electorate. Anyone that is around the Chelsea–Chelsea Heights–Edithvale area or the southern bits of the City of Kingston – in the electorate of the member for Carrum, the Minister for Planning, who joined us as well and is an outstanding advocate for her community and for health in our area – will know how important this site will be. It is a $1.1 billion redevelopment across 12 floors, with a 130-bed capacity. It adds new spaces for mental health, which I am so very passionate about, and oncology services and 12 new operating theatres. We got to see those operating theatres coming together. We know that that will benefit so many more across the south-eastern suburbs and the tens of thousands of nurses that we have added in the decade that we have had the opportunity to serve Victorians. Victorians know, and people in the cities of Kingston and Greater Dandenong know, that Labor governments back our health system and our health workers. We see the investments that have been made and the support that they are providing to the dedicated people who each and every day serve Victorians when they need it most. The Frankston Hospital redevelopment is a great addition to our health system and will be operational by 2026.