December 2026 is when Tasmanian women can expect a replacement BreastScreen bus back on the road, Health Minister Bridget Archer has confirmed – a timeframe she described as “extremely disappointing”.
The new deadline is three months later than the September target Archer gave parliament last year.
“The most recent advice I have received has indicated that delivery will be completed by December 2026,” Archer said today.
The replacement is for ‘Luna’, the mobile screening unit that serviced Tasmania’s south and east coasts before being taken off the road in April 2025 after months of breakdowns.
Archer said design and planning work with manufacturer Varley Group had been finalised and critical infrastructure was arriving to support construction.
She said she had pushed for ways to bring the timeframe forward or source an alternative bus sooner.
“I met with Varley Group and had a positive discussion around potential options to fast-track the build and I have also written to other states and territories to ascertain options to purchase an existing bus, should one be available,” Archer said.
“This would add another bus to the existing schedule and not only assist in prolonging Ida’s lifespan … but also future-proof against any further issues, such as mechanical or equipment failure.”
Department of Health secretary Dale Webster has been asked to take direct oversight of the process.
Independent Clark MP Kristie Johnston last week said the slipped timeframe followed “years of bungling”.
“This is not a luxury service, this is a life-saving service and the government should hang their heads in shame,” Johnston said.
She also questioned whether women could still rely on the replacement bus being available by the end of this year.
A new BreastScreen site will open at the Devonport Community Health Centre next month, freeing the state’s remaining mobile unit, ‘Ida’, to service additional communities.
More than 500 women in rural and remote areas have so far accessed a temporary travel subsidy for screening.
The government has also committed to four new BreastScreen clinics.
Archer on Wednesday opened the new $15 million Tasmanian Breast Care Centre at the Royal Hobart Hospital’s Liverpool Clinics.
The centre brings together BreastScreen Tasmania’s screening services, the Diagnostic Breast Imaging Service and patient support services under one roof.
It will progressively accept more diagnostic referrals, including referrals directly from GPs.
