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OUR $1.5 BILLION PLAN TO DELIVER HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE FUTURE

Jeremy Rockliff MP, Premier andMinister for Health

The 2022-23 Tasmanian Budget demonstrates our priority is to deliver high-quality health services for all Tasmanians, as we spend a record $7 million every day in health.

In the 2022-23 Budget and across the Forward Estimates, our investment in health will increase to a record $11.2 billion - accounting for 33.6 per cent or one third - of the Budget’s total operating expenditure compared to 29.1 per cent when Labor and the Greens were last in Government.

While much of this funding will be targeted to meet immediate needs, such as reducing the elective surgery waitlist, opening more beds, and employing more staff, the Tasmanian Liberal Government is also firmly focused on planning for the future.

Earlier this year we announced our $1 billion investment into critical health infrastructure over the next 10 years, and the 2022-23 Budget includes a significant $654 million in funding to deliver health infrastructure projects over the next four years.

With the inclusion of the significant Digital Health Transformation initiative, we will invest $1.5 billion into contemporary health infrastructure over the next decade.

This includes critical upgrades and new facilities at our four major hospitals and investment in rural hospitals and community health services to ensure our health infrastructure is well-positioned to meet service capacity now and for future generations of Tasmanians.

The 2022-23 Budget allocates $73.4 million to Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment Stage 2 projects, with $110 million to expand the scope of these Stage 2 projects, including an expanded ICU, expanded Emergency Department, a fit-for-purpose older persons unit and new Neurology/Stroke and Medical sub-specialties wards.

The Budget also includes $7 million for a new angiography suite at the RHH as well as $5.3 million to deliver a new pharmaceutical production facility with additional capacity to support increasing patient needs for chemotherapy and elective surgery.

In the North, we are progressing our $580 million commitment over 10 years to the Launceston General Hospital Redevelopment, which will deliver a new Mental Health Facility and a new tower on the current Northside site, providing additional capacity to meet future demand. Over the Forward Estimates, this Budget will deliver $50 million to Stage 2 projects, in addition to funding of $38 million to complete projects within the $87 million Stage 1 redevelopment.

In the North West, this Budget progresses our planned $100 million Redevelopment of the NWRH, which includes $40 million over the Forward Estimates for Stage 1 of a new Mental Health precinct and $20 million for the refurbishment of the Spencer wing to provide additional wards. Once this is completed in 2025, we will progress plans for Stage 2 of the Mental Health Precinct at a cost of $40 million.

We have also expanded our investment in the Mersey Community Hospital with a $20 million allocation to provide a new kitchen and additional ward, delivering more bed capacity. This will take the total upgrade at the Mersey to more than $57 million, the most significant in the hospital’s history.

Our health infrastructure plan is centred on delivering contemporary facilities to meet the needs of patients and staff, and we will continue to invest record funding to address immediate pressures and ensure Tasmanians can get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Importantly, we will continue to strengthen this work with our billion-dollar longer-term vision that will deliver a better health system for all Tasmanians.