Monday, 13 June 2016

Australian Federal Election 2016: recalling better times in the Page electorate


The public hospital system in the NSW Northern Rivers region has been attempting to deal with state and federal health funding cuts by Coalition governments for years now (including est.$730 million over ten years from the Northern NSW Local Hospital District) and the strain is beginning to show.
So it’s only natural that a good many regional voters look back fondly on the hard work then Labor MP for Page Janelle Saffin put in to securing health funding between 2007 to 2013.
This effort on the electorate’s behalf included:
$4 million for a community health centre in Yamba
$20 million for the upgrade of Grafton Base Hospital and 114,000 for new equipment for the Emergency Department
$487,000 to refurbish 10 student nurse accommodation rooms at Grafton Base Hospital
Federal grant to establish the Grafton Super Clinic
$60.25 million to redevelop Lismore Base Hospital, including new emergency department, an express community care clinic and a new renal dialysis unit
$7 million on top of the $8 million already committed for Lismore Base Hospital radiology services
Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) services for Lismore Base Hospital and North Coast radiology’s Clarence Valley Imaging in Grafton
$15 million to fast track the Lismore Integrated Cancer Centre
$2.7 million for a second linear accelerator at the Lismore Base Hospital Integrated Cancer Centre, providing cancer treatment for an extra 30 patients a day
$7 million for Lismore GP Super Clinic
$2.6 million for Our House Cancer Patient Accommodation in Lismore for cancer patients and families -150 construction jobs 
$2.53 million to St Vincent’s Private Hospital Lismore for two new operation theatres, $884,414for state-of-the-art teaching centre and $157,000 to purchase equipment to develop aUrological Centre of Excellence 
$7.9 million to establish the University of Western Sydney's new Rural Clinical School in Lismore and Bathurst
$407,000 to expand McKid Medical Private General Practice in Kyogle under the Primary Care Infrastructure Grants Program and $295,455 to upgrade the Urbenville Medical Centre
$9.22 million to North Coast Medicare Local to establish its headquarters in Ballina and for operational funding
$1.45 million investment in dental funding for the Northern Rivers, announced this year as part of the Commonwealth Dental Health Program
Five new GP registrars to train in Lismore, Goonellabah, Ballina and Alstonville and four specialist doctors in Lismore area
$1.6million to Interrelate to boost mental health services in Ballina and Kyogle shires and the Richmond Valley
$640,000 to Local HACC services Home and Community Care Program funding
$1.45 million investment in dental funding for the Northern Rivers announced in 2013  as part of the Commonwealth Dental Health Program
Five new GP registrars to train in Lismore, Goonellabah, Ballina and Alstonville and four specialist doctors in Lismore area
$1.6million to Interrelate to boost mental health services in Ballina and Kyogle shires and the Richmond Valley
$700,000 to Clarence Valley Council under the Healthy Communities Initiative to combat obesity
A total of $522,000 to Bulgarr Ngaru Aboriginal Medical Service to expand its health service with new premises and practice manager
$1.9 million for local crisis intervention services.
A list of funding for a range of services within the Page electorate between August 2010 and September 2013:


Ms. Saffin is standing as Labor's candidate in Page on 2 July 2016.

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