The Liberals have pledged to build a $15 million medical precinct in Huonville, offering 100% bulk-billing GP services and a dedicated mental health hub.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff made the election commitment at a press conference in the Huon Valley on Tuesday, saying the new facility would help meet growing healthcare needs in the region.
“Research shows that 10% of adults within the local government area of the Huon Valley need psychosocial support and mental health and wellbeing support,” Rockliff said.
“Which highlights the fact that we need to continually evolve and support and invest in rural and regional communities.”
Huon Valley Council CEO Lachlan Kranz welcomed the announcement, saying the council had long pushed for better GP services in the region, which is technically a federal responsibility.
“As the only primary health provider of GP services for our far south community, Huon Valley Council has long advocated for improving services,” Krantz said.
“It’s something that, for a long time, council has shouldered the load and relied on ratepayer funding to support healthcare in a rural community.”
Tash Smyth, CEO of Mental Health Lived Experience Tasmania, said the integrated approach would make a real difference for locals.
“In the past, we’ve had a fragmented system, so being able to access primary healthcare and specialised care, including mental health care, in one spot is terrific,” Smyth said.
“Tasmania is full of regional communities that … currently have good access to services. So anything that we can bring to them that brings down travel time and cost and increases accessibility is a good thing.”
Royal Flying Doctor Service Tasmania CEO Nicole Henty said the new dental partnership would help break down major barriers to care, with the service already treating around 4,500 people in rural and remote communities each year.
“We will develop a state-of-the-art equipment positioned in the medical centre,” she said.
“We will work to recruit a southern-based workforce which will allow patients to be treated on site within their own community.”
Rockliff said that if re-elected, work to identify the best site for the new precinct would begin within the first 100 days of his government’s new term.
