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Health | October 20, 2022

Kealy commits to Mortlake hospital upgrades

Terang-Mortlake Health Service will receive $6.65 million towards upgrading its Mortlake campus if a Liberal and Nationals Government is elected in November.

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy made the announcement while visiting the campus today with Shadow Minister for Health Georgie Crozier.

“The Liberal and Nationals are committed to first-class health facilities in country areas and see redevelopment of the Mortlake campus of the Terang-Mortlake Health Service as vital to ensuring the future wellbeing of the local community,” Ms Kealy said.

“The hospital community has done a fantastic job with the redevelopment plan, and I am proud to announce that an elected Liberal Nationals Government will contribute the $6.65 million in state funding that is required to make this project a reality.”

Ms Kealy, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Nationals, said community members would benefit greatly from the project, which would include a new, purpose-built community health centre with services including dental, physiotherapy, podiatry, dietitians, GP consulting, pathology, maternal and child health services, district nursing, occupational therapists, and an emergency outpatients service. A new ambulance station will also be constructed.

“The existing buildings at the Mortlake campus are significantly aged and in urgent need of major works to support the fabulous staff at the Terang-Mortlake Health Service to deliver the best possible healthcare to our local people,” Ms Kealy said.

“We know that attracting and retaining clinical and support staff is getting harder in regional Victoria, which is one of the many reasons we need to ensure our rural health facilities are first-class.”

During September, Ms Kealy circulated a petition calling on the Andrews Labor Government to fund the redevelopment of the Mortlake campus of the Terang-Mortlake Health Service, which attracted more than 100 signatures in less than two weeks.

“The Liberal Nationals have already committed more than $1.5 billion to bring regional Victorian hospitals up to date, and have announced that we will shelve Daniel Andrews’ $34.5 billion rail line from Cheltenham to Box Hill and reprioritise every single cent of that funding into fixing our broken health system,” she said.

“I am proud to be part of a Liberal and Nationals team that recognises that people living in and around Mortlake deserve to access great health services locally.

“Victorians will have a clear choice in November – more of Daniel Andrews’ all talk and no action approach or a Liberal Nationals Government that will deliver first-class health facilities for all Victorians, not just those living in metropolitan Melbourne.”