Tuesday, 12 August 2025

 Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (19:03): (1242) It is great to rise and raise an adjournment for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is an update on the completion of Frankston Hospital’s redevelopment, a $1.1 billion investment. This has significant benefit for the Mordialloc electorate.

Sam Groth interjected.

Tim RICHARDSON: And it will be Peninsula University Hospital; that is right, the member for Nepean, as he exits the chamber, and it would only have been possible as Peninsula University Hospital because of the Allan Labor government’s investment in health, a record that we have never seen in this state before – the support for our health workers and nurses, our allied health workers, our doctors and our paramedics. This precinct is so substantial and important for constituents in the Mordialloc electorate. We think of the journey of health care in this state and how much it has changed, with virtual ED coming on. We see the changes that are coming to Alfred Health and coming to health through the peninsula here; there is a significant change in outcomes coming through. The redevelopment of the Frankston Hospital precinct into Peninsula University Hospital will be substantial. We will see upgrades to oncology care, mental health and wellbeing, more beds and more services, but importantly it will give those health workers that support our community in times of need the very best facilities to support the work that they do. I was there recently with the federal member for Dunkley Jodie Belyea, a wonderful representative in our community, and the member for Frankston, who is an absolute superstar – and the member for Frankston has been to the Frankston Hospital precinct I reckon maybe 500 times; I think every time I am in my social media feed there is a post celebrating this achievement.

You think it is just for Frankston or that Peninsula University Hospital region – it is a broad regional benefit, this. Half of my electorate in Mordialloc is about 11 minutes away from this hospital, so if you come down the Frankston Freeway or off the Mordy freeway, you are there, and when you think of the redevelopment that is happening at Monash Health, the Monash Medical Centre, which has been committed to by this government, we are making sure that the Mordialloc district and its residents have the very best health care, because that is what matters. In times of need when people’s health suffers or there is an emergency or crisis, or when you need, as we have seen, changes to elective surgeries, you need that care at that critical moment. Think of the upgrades that are coming to Monash Medical Centre, and the soon to be open Peninsula University Hospital. This is a substantial investment in the future health outcomes of my constituents, and they are really keen. When is it going to happen? When is it going to be operational? We have seen that funding in the budget, but when can the first patients walk through the doors and get that critical care and support in that brand new facility that would only be possible under an Allan Labor government?