RADIATION ONCOLOGY — GERALDTON
522. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the $9 million
investment in the state budget for Geraldton radiation oncology, with $2.7 million
allocated in the 2022–23 financial year.
(1) Is the
entirety of the $9 million contribution from the federal government; and, if
not, how much of this is state funding?
(2) What is the total estimated
cost of the project?
(3) Will the
project be delivered as part of the currently delayed and over-budget Geraldton
regional hospital redevelopment?
(4) If additional funding is required to complete the
project, will the state government use some of the significant budget
surplus to deliver this life-saving project?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(4) Prior to the 2019 federal election, the federal government
announced $9 million for a new radiation oncology service in Geraldton.
The former Minister for Health wrote to the federal government on two occasions
advising that the estimated total cost of a new radiation oncology service in
Geraldton was $19 million and requested that it honour its commitment to fund
the project in full. The state government will continue to consider options for
a future radiation oncology service in Geraldton to complement the $122 million
redevelopment of the Geraldton hospital.