Wednesday, 17 June 2026

 Tim BULL (Gippsland East) (10:37): I want to raise this morning the lack of support from this government for our bush nursing centres and the impact that it is having on my communities in East Gippsland. Through a lack of government funding the Dargo Bush Nursing Centre has just cut back one day a week and is now only open four days a week. We also have the Swifts Creek Bush Nursing Centre, which has stopped its after-hours work and its weekend work. These are remote communities that need these services operating simply to serve the public that lives there, because it is a long, long way to other health services.

We also have the Buchan Bush Nursing Centre that has applied for funding twice to have its centre rebuilt. They already have the land purchased, and they have been knocked back on that funding twice and are currently having a third go. All three of these bush nursing centres – and there are many more around the state – are openly stating that it is a lack of state government funding that is putting them in this situation. One can only lament that this is a result of the fact that, by this government’s own budget papers, we are heading towards a state debt of $200 billion and interest repayments of $28 million a day. The outcome of that is why we are not having these important services funded in our regions, and only a change of government in November will fix that.