Health and Education Big Winners in Budget

_{08, June 2006}

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Improved health services for all and better education for our kids are the big wins in the 2006 State Budget for residents in the Ferny Grove electorate.

State Member for Ferny Grove Geoff Wilson has announced a major funding injection for Health services in the area.

Geoff Wilson also announced the Budget delivered today by Treasurer Anna Bligh also contains a major $1 billion funding boost for improvements to buildings and amenities.

The Treasurer, Anna Bligh has allocated $36 million to improve health services at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospital and the Prince Charles hospital.

“I’m sure residents of the electorate will be pleased by the Beattie Government’s commitment to improving health services,” Geoff Wilson said.

Geoff Wilson said the Ferny Grove electorate would share in Health funding including:

• $10.22 million, from a statewide commitment of $39 million, for enhanced cardiac services in the Prince Charles and Royal Brisbane Hospital Health Service Districts including extra cardiac surgery, purchase of equipment and skilling of cardiac professionals
• $7.65 million for new cancer services in the Prince Charles and Royal Brisbane Hospitals Health Service Districts including lung cancer treatment at the Prince Charles Hospital and increased support for the bone marrow transplant services at the Princess Alexandra Hospital
• $7 million, from increased state-wide funding of $27 million, to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital to reduce elective surgery waiting lists
• $3.62 million to enhance neonatal services in south east Queensland
• $2.82 million, from a state-wide commitment of $18 million, to support community mental health services in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Health Services District through the employment of additional specialist mental health staff
• $1.86 million to address the complex needs of homeless people with mental illness and/or substance abuse problems in the Prince Charles and Royal Brisbane Hospitals Health Service Districts through mobile clinical outreach teams
• $273,000 to community organisations under the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program, which provides support and maintenance services for eligible people at home to prevent early admission to residential care
• $159,000 in additional funding for Indigenous health programs in the Prince Charles and Royal Brisbane Hospital Health Service District

In addition, the Ferny Grove electorate will share in 20 new paramedics for the Greater Brisbane Region as part of the 2004-05 commitment to recruit 240 extra paramedics across the State over three years at a total cost of $35.9 million.

Geoff Wilson said that the Health Action Plan announced late last year injected a record funding totalling $6.4 billion over five years to 2010 11. 

“The Health Action Plan has now been expanded by $3.1 billion to a total of $9.7 billion,” Geoff Wilson said.

“In the Health Action Plan, the Government committed to recruit an additional 1,200 clinicians over an 18 month period,” Geoff Wilson said, “and Queensland Health is well on its way to meeting this commitment with a total of 272 extra doctors, 413 allied health professionals and 1,082 nurses recruited by the end of April 2006.”

“The Ferny Grove electorate is home to some of the city’s key schools and it’s great to see they will be the recipients of some major funding,” Geoff Wilson said.

“This is a Budget that delivers in that priority area because it’s vital our kids have the best institutions in which to learn so they can get the best education.

“The Beattie Labor Government is committed to supporting students’ learning, and is reflected in the record $5.17 billion recurrent investment in Queensland’s schools in the 2006-07 State Budget,” Geoff Wilson said.

“A comprehensive $1 billion five-year school rebuilding and renewal program will modernise existing school classrooms, and where needed, build new facilities,” Geoff Wilson said. 

“Of this amount, $100 million has been allocated as a one-off contribution to non-State schools to improve school facilities,” Geoff Wilson said.

“Our Government remains committed to smaller class sizes and will employ another 150 extra state school teachers in 2007 as the final stage of our plan to reduce class size targets in Years 4–10 to 28 students,” Geoff Wilson said.

Geoff Wilson said the Budget focussed heavily on boosting the numbers of skilled workers in the electorate.

“Queensland is facing significant shortages of skilled workers so it’s vital we go beyond the classroom and start skilling up and training our future workforce,” Geoff Wilson said.

Under the Government’s Queensland Skills Plan, Ferny Grove will share in more than $7.59 million allocated to the Greater Brisbane Region in 2006/07 to increase the number of trades apprenticeship training places and the number of Certificate IV and above training places. 

Geoff Wilson said many residents were aware of the State Government’s proposed study into the future transport network needs of western and north-west Brisbane. 

“The budget for the study has been increased by $7 million for an expanded community engagement program,” Geoff Wilson said.
 
Geoff Wilson said residents living in the Ferny Grove electorate would also benefit from major funding totalling over $4. million and included:

• $1.09 million for the new Samford Ambulance Station
• $1.06 million for local youth, disabled and indigenous support services
• $811,000 for further upgrading the local electricity supply
• $500,000 for resealing Mt Glorious Road
• $485,000 (previously announced) for a new school hall at Mitchelton State School
• $86,000 for an regional indoor archery centre at Samford
• $82,000 through the Triple R program for repainting and roofing at Grovely State School
• $45,000 in ongoing funding to Outside School Hours Care services at various schools including, Mt Nebo, Mt Samson, and Samford State Schools
• $44,000 to replace barbecues at Lomandra and Iron Bark Gully in the Brisbane Forest Park.
• $38,000 to upgrade information technologies at Mitchelton State High School
• $33,000 for targeted maintenance of buildings and external services at Ferny Hills State School
• $9,000 to several local sport and recreation clubs throughout the Ferny Grove electorate, to help increase physical activity opportunities through a wide range of planning, participation and education and training initiatives. 

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