Tuesday, 17 June 2025

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (18:48): (1717) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Health, and it is in relation to funding for the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance. We know that it took a hit in 2024 with the budget, with funding reduced from $9.5 million a year, which was allocated in the 2020–21 budget, down to just $7.5 million over four years. It was an extraordinary hit to that very important investment in that important area, and it is an important area because Victoria is facing a tsunami of cancer cases, with 40,000 cases a year diagnosed. This is predicted to reach 50,000 a year by 2032 – that is not very far away, in seven years time, and without immediate investment –

David Davis interjected.

Georgie CROZIER: They are winding back funding, Mr Davis, but without the immediate investment, it is the reality that one in three Victorians will continue to die from cancer. They do terrific work, the VCCC Alliance, and regional Victorians are 10 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than those living in major cities. There is a real inequity in the ability to address this issue, with 15 per cent more likely to die because of their cancer diagnosis. Patients with cancer living in regional and rural Victoria are further disadvantaged by experiencing lower five-year survival rates than those living in metropolitan areas – 69 per cent compared to 73 per cent respectively.

As I said, the VCCC Alliance took a massive hit in last year’s budget. The $1.37 million in the 2025 budget over two years to maintain the centre for cancer immunotherapy falls drastically short of delivering critical anti-cancer activity at a time when it is needed most. The government talks about their cancer plan; well, they do need the investment if they are to achieve those goals.

The action I seek from the minister is to not only justify the gap in those funding shortfalls but really request that the government fund the VCCC Alliance’s full amount of $17.5 million over the forward estimates to help the government deliver its Victorian Cancer Plan goals by 2028. Without that investment it is simply not going to happen. With the inequity between regional and metropolitan Victorians, those living in regional Victoria are going to be further disadvantaged. It is absolutely critical that those funding cuts be reversed and that this investment take place.