More Funding to Support Rural Health Infrastructure
The Australian Government will inject a further $6.1 million to improve local health infrastructure in 40 rural and remote communities throughout Australia.
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29 October 2009
The Rudd Government will inject a further $6.1 million to improve local health infrastructure in 40 rural and remote communities throughout Australia.
The Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery, Warren Snowdon, today announced the third round of grants under the Government’s National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program (NRRHIP).
“The Rudd Government is committed to ensuring all Australians have timely access to quality health and medical services, when and where they need it,” Mr Snowdon said.
“Helping local communities in regional and rural centres develop new, or upgrade existing, health infrastructure is something the Government takes very seriously.”
The projects announced today include:
Today’s funding announcement builds on grants announced earlier this year. In January, 53 projects were funded through NRRHIP at a cost of $12 million and a further 40 projects costing $13.9 million were announced as part of the May 2009-10 Budget. A further 27 projects were funded through NRRHIP in June at a cost of $5 million.
“The funding for these new projects demonstrates the Rudd Government’s continuing commitment to ensuring the stability of health services in rural and remote communities,” Mr Snowdon said.
“The program is highly competitive, and I congratulate all the successful communities, councils and health practices who have secured funding.
“There is an ongoing need for support from the Australian Government in this area, and a fourth funding round will be announced soon.”
Further information on the program is available from the Department of Health and Ageing website http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/nrrhip-lp or by contacting the department on 1800 780 939 (free call).
A list of successful projects is attached. Funding shown in the table is GST inclusive.
Media contact: Greg Doolan – 0433 345 323 or (02) 6277 7380.
State | Location | Organisation | Project | Total $ |
NSW | CROOKWELL | Upper Lachlan Shire Council | Undertake upgrade of utilities, renewal of soft furnishings and heating and cooling. | $60,429.50 |
NSW | LEETON | Murrumbidgee General Practice Network | To purchase medical and IMIT equipment to increase the scope and quality of services to be delivered to the local area. | $31,318.91 |
NSW | LIGHTNING RIDGE | NSW Outback Division of General Practice Ltd | To construct a Primary Health Care Centre in Lightning Ridge to house GPs, administration and health promotional activities. The building will also accommodate the Lightening Ridge Multi Purpose centre as well as staff of the NSW Outback DGP. | $551,650.00 |
NSW | MORUYA | Queen Street Medical Centre | A purpose-built health care facility will be constructed on an adjoining block and be physically linked to the current building. This will provide additional consulting space including improved teaching facilities. There will be an adjoined self-contained unit for short term use by GP registrars and students during their rural allocation. | $550,000.00 |
NSW | MUDGEE | Mudgee Medical Centre Developments Pty Ltd | Construction of a purpose-built medical facility on land currently being purchased from the Greater Western Area Health Service and adjacent to the Mudgee District Hospital and Community Health Centre. Examination beds and lights to be acquired. | $549,235.80 |
NSW | NARRANDERA | Rebecca Robertson | Purchase speech pathology equipment and resources to establish a practice in the Riverina community. | $9,450.21 |
NSW | TAREE | Taree Medical Centre | Purchase of IT equipment to develop and improve IT teaching facilities for GP Registrars and Medical Students. | $45,926.00 |
NSW | WARREN | Warren Shire Council | Construction and fitout of an extra four consulting rooms - would be used by General Practitioners, Registrars Practice Nurse plus visiting Allied Heath and Specialist services. | $551,650.00 |
NT | KATHERINE | Wurli-Wurlinjang Aboriginal Corporation | Establish a demountable office block to provide office space for three officers from the Alcohol and Other Drugs program. | $166,100.00 |
QLD | BOONAH | Grow On Occupational Therapy | Purchase a range of occupational therapy equipment and resources to maintain and improve services. | $14,869.44 |
QLD | BUNGALOW | Far North Queensland Rural Division of General Practice | Extension of Eacham Medical Centre to provide two additional consulting rooms, enlarge the waiting room area, provide a Manager’s work area and a sterilisation room and to refurbish the existing practice space including updating the computer system, replace or upgrade of some existing medical equipment and purchase additional office furniture. | $147,246.00 |
QLD | CHARLEVILLE | Dr Chester Wilson | Purchase video equipment and laptop to be used in student/registrar training in conjunctions with existing rhinoscope and a slit lamp. | $15,455.00 |
QLD | KINGAROY | BetterLife Directions Pty Ltd (Aggregate Corp) | Upgrade of IT equipment to help overcome current technology limitations and work more efficiently to better service the local community. | $38,763.87 |
QLD | MONTO | Central Queensland Rural Division of General Practice | Improve access to health services by establishing a purpose built ‘walk-in-walk-out’ primary health care facility. The facility will also create additional space to allow the practice to undertake registrar training. | $535,150.00 |
QLD | MOUNT SURPRISE | Etheridge Shire Council | Construction of a new examination room for visiting GPs and other health professionals and provide additional and updated equipment. | $165,726.00 |
QLD | MUNDUBBERA | GP Links - Wide Bay | Extend the existing surgery to create four consulting rooms and add an additional waiting room to accommodate two full time GPs. Visiting specialists and allied and community health practitioners. | $477,730.00 |
QLD | YEPPOON | CQ Physio Group | Equip the recently developed CQ Physio Group practice located in Yeppoon The much needed expansion of the practice will improve access to health services within the region, as well as increase the range of privately insurable health services available to residents of the remote community. | $43,251.49 |
SA | BOOLEROO CENTRE | Lucy R Arthur | Upgrade current technology and purchase new physiotherapy equipment to improve efficiency and better serve the local communities. | $51,450.30 |
SA | GUMERACHA | Gumeracha Medical Practice | Medical equipment and furnishings for the new practice nurse area, treatment room, consulting rooms and registrar training facilities. | $52,598.98 |
SA | JAMESTOWN | Lisa Satorio | Purchase a Whole Body Vibration Unit to enhance physiotherapy treatment. | $1,485.00 |
SA | QUORN | Flinders Ranges Council | Modifications to the existing building will provide rooms for another GP, medical students and registrars. | $551,650.00 |
SA | RENMARK | Renmark Physiotherapy Service | Enhance physiotherapeutic services to the Renmark Paringa community by updating existing physiotherapy and IT equipment. | $66,324.50 |
TAS | EXETER | Exeter Medical Centre | Construct two new rooms that will allow GP registrars to consult independently and have access to both on and off site training facilities, plus the purchase of equipment for rooms. | $148,463.70 |
TAS | HUONVILLE | Huon Doctors Surgery | Refurbish rooms within premises to make them suitable for medical students and junior doctors. This will enable junior medical staff to work in close proximity to the teaching doctor in a supported environment and maximise their learning experience. | $211,682.81 |
VIC | BACCHUS MARSH | Bacchus Marsh Medical Centre | Convert the storage room to consultation rooms for employment of chronic disease manager and consultation room for registrars and medical students, with fitout. | $28,061.40 |
VIC | CANN RIVER | Cann Valley Bush Nursing Centre | Purchase of equipment for dental clinic, GPs clinic, Maternal & Child Welfare Clinic and nurses’ clinic. | $8,904.10 |
VIC | CRESWICK | Creswick Medical Service | To construct additional consulting and treatment rooms along with providing extra space for reception, staffing and admin space, and to fitout the consult and treatment rooms with new equipment to continue to provide comprehensive care to members of the community and to provide training places for doctors and nurses. | $547,194.97 |
VIC | DINGEE | Dingee Bush Nursing Centre Inc | Purchase basic modern podiatry equipment necessary to provide safe practices. | $6,930.00 |
VIC | HEYFIELD | Heyfield Hospital Inc | Undertake a detailed financial analysis and community/stakeholder consultation to guide the development of appropriate health service delivery models to address community needs and long term viability - plus purchase of emergency equipment. | $106,618.60 |
VIC | HORSHAM | Wimmera Foot Clinic | Purchase equipment to fitout an existing room to make a fourth consultation room, and to upgrade computer equipment. | $49,601.51 |
VIC | MALLACOOTA | Mallacoota District Health and Support Service | Refurbishment and fitout of the physiotherapy room with a video conferencing/training facility to enable practitioners to consult with other professionals in other locations. | $36,768.04 |
VIC | MYRTLEFORD | Alpine Eye Care | Purchase computer system with patient record software installed and a fundus camera. A small amount of electrical work required. | $49,819.00 |
VIC | OCEAN GROVE | Ocean Grove Medical Clinic | Extend existing building with addition of two rooms dedicated to providing a training area. | $141,804.30 |
VIC | SALE | Clocktower Medical Centre | Construct an additional two dedicated student study rooms, install videoconferencing equipment for training and conference needs, purchase medical diagnostic equipment and restructure existing area used by students to accommodate diagnostic equipment. | $163,471.00 |
VIC | WALWA | Walwa Bush Nursing Centre | Upgrade IT equipment to maintain and improve hospital management as recommended by an independent audit. Conduct a strategic service plan in order to implement the recommendations of the Burgell study and design systems for efficiency in the newly structured WBNC/WMC. | $50,174.30 |
WA | BUSSELTON | Dr James Graham | Purchase a specialised chiropractic table. | $27,500.00 |
WA | ESPERANCE | Esperance Podiatry | Purchase podiatry equipment which includes a patient chair, an operator’s chair, podiatry cabinet, drill, doppler, small x-ray viewer, 12 sets of podiatry instruments and notebook computer. | $20,678.26 |
WA | EUCLA | Silver Chain Nursing Association | Purchase a sustainable and viable energy source for the Eucla Remote Area Health Service (RAHS). | $70,675.00 |
WA | KALBARRI | Shire of Northampton | Extend surgery to accommodate two consultant rooms, toilet, staff amenities as well as replace leaky roof. | $286,550.00 |
WA | KULIN | Shire of Kulin | To renovate and update the existing medical practice and to purchase a small amount of equipment, to increase health and allied health services by providing adequate consulting rooms and facilities. | $110,000.00 |
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