Published Tuesday, 05 December, 2006 at 02:13 PM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
TEAMING UP FOR RESULTS: NEW DIRECTION IN HEALTH AND TRANSPORT FOR BORDER COMMUNITIES
An agreement to improve State Government services for people living on the NSW/Qld border was sealed during talks between Premiers Iemma and Beattie and the Member for Tweed Neville Newell in Sydney today.
The participants in the talks agreed that health and transport were the two priorities for border residents.
The Premiers also agreed to convene a Cross Border Transport Taskforce to drive the rail link investigation and to look at potential rail corridors with a view to preserving land.
The Taskforce will look at expanding the heavy rail link south from Coolangatta Airport into NSW.
“This border region is one of the fastest growing areas in Australia and to meet the demands of the growing community, both of our governments have invested significant extra resources into the area,” Mr Iemma said.
“Today marks the beginning of an important new direction to improve planning and coordination of health and transport services for people in Northern NSW and South Eastern Queensland.”
Queensland’s Premier Peter Beattie said lines on maps meant little to people living in the Gold Coast/Tweed area and he would continue to work with the NSW Government to ensure practical solutions were found to a range of issues in the area.
“Many people live in Queensland but work in NSW and vice versa.
“When the NSW Premier approached me to sort out some of the day-to-day issues which confront people in the region I was happy to take part.
“I am particularly pleased that we’ll soon be in a position to ensure people living on both sides of the border can take advantage of more efficient health services and simple things like being able to catch a cab without complication,” Mr Beattie said.
“It’s obvious to everyone that when it comes to planning our future health and transport services – NSW and Queensland can help each other.
“It’s that sort of co-operation that’s going to get results from the Tweed-Gold Coast Partnership,” Mr Iemma said.
The Premiers said the NSW and Queensland Health Ministers have instructed their Directors-General of Health to commence a joint planning study.
Teaming up for results in transport
Mr Iemma said he and Mr Beattie were disappointed by the Howard Government’s failure to jointly fund maintenance and repair of the Casino-Murwillumbah Rail Line.
“The Federal Government has had long enough – if they were serious about wanting rail services reintroduced to the region, we’d have an offer on the table,” Mr Iemma said.
“They’ve consistently refused to match the NSW Government’s offer of dollar-for-dollar funding to pay for critical safety work required to get trains running again,” he said.
“And we’ve made it clear from the start that without this critical investment from the Federal Government, the restoration would not proceed.”
“We will now concentrate our efforts on investigations into a heavy rail link between North Eastern NSW and South Eastern Queensland.”
Mr Iemma said senior officers from the States’ respective transport departments met in Queensland on Friday to finalise a discussion paper on the issue and details for community consultation.
“We’re convening a Cross Border Transport Taskforce to drive the rail link investigation and to look at potential rail corridors with a view to preserving land,” Mr Iemma said.
“The Taskforce will look at expanding the heavy rail link south from Coolangatta Airport into NSW,” he said.
Teaming up for results in health
“Both governments have a clear common interest to ensure that health and transport services on both sides of the border are planned in a co-ordinated fashion in the interests of local residents,” Mr Iemma said
“This planning will provide detailed analysis and assessment of the health care needs of people in South Eastern Queensland and Northern NSW over the next 10 to 15 years,” Mr Iemma said.
“This will help ensure that we are appropriately prepared to meet the future health care needs of our growing and ageing community,” he said.
“The study will also explore opportunities for co-operation and integration of health services provided to this region by both NSW and Queensland,” Mr Beattie said.
“The Health Ministers have directed that this advice be provided by July 2007 so that future decisions on significant investment in health infrastructure are well informed,” he said.
Tuesday 5 December 2006
Media contact: Premier’s office 32244500
Terms of Reference for Health planning study
To review and report on the health care needs of the people of northern NSW and south-eastern Queensland to 2016 and 2021, through the following components of work:
1. A determination of the current and projected catchment populations for northern NSW and south eastern Queensland and provide an assessment of the planning parameters used by both NSW Health and Queensland Health in the projections of activity for this region to 2016 and 2021.
2. The assessment of current, approved new, and proposed supply of services to this region to 2016 and 2021. This analysis will include acute (inpatient and ambulatory), sub-acute, mental health, and community-based services.
3. A specific assessment of highly specialised services that may need to be developed in these timeframes.
4. Opportunities for cooperation and integration of health services provided to this region by NSW and Queensland.”
The participants in the talks agreed that health and transport were the two priorities for border residents.
The Premiers also agreed to convene a Cross Border Transport Taskforce to drive the rail link investigation and to look at potential rail corridors with a view to preserving land.
The Taskforce will look at expanding the heavy rail link south from Coolangatta Airport into NSW.
“This border region is one of the fastest growing areas in Australia and to meet the demands of the growing community, both of our governments have invested significant extra resources into the area,” Mr Iemma said.
“Today marks the beginning of an important new direction to improve planning and coordination of health and transport services for people in Northern NSW and South Eastern Queensland.”
Queensland’s Premier Peter Beattie said lines on maps meant little to people living in the Gold Coast/Tweed area and he would continue to work with the NSW Government to ensure practical solutions were found to a range of issues in the area.
“Many people live in Queensland but work in NSW and vice versa.
“When the NSW Premier approached me to sort out some of the day-to-day issues which confront people in the region I was happy to take part.
“I am particularly pleased that we’ll soon be in a position to ensure people living on both sides of the border can take advantage of more efficient health services and simple things like being able to catch a cab without complication,” Mr Beattie said.
“It’s obvious to everyone that when it comes to planning our future health and transport services – NSW and Queensland can help each other.
“It’s that sort of co-operation that’s going to get results from the Tweed-Gold Coast Partnership,” Mr Iemma said.
The Premiers said the NSW and Queensland Health Ministers have instructed their Directors-General of Health to commence a joint planning study.
Teaming up for results in transport
Mr Iemma said he and Mr Beattie were disappointed by the Howard Government’s failure to jointly fund maintenance and repair of the Casino-Murwillumbah Rail Line.
“The Federal Government has had long enough – if they were serious about wanting rail services reintroduced to the region, we’d have an offer on the table,” Mr Iemma said.
“They’ve consistently refused to match the NSW Government’s offer of dollar-for-dollar funding to pay for critical safety work required to get trains running again,” he said.
“And we’ve made it clear from the start that without this critical investment from the Federal Government, the restoration would not proceed.”
“We will now concentrate our efforts on investigations into a heavy rail link between North Eastern NSW and South Eastern Queensland.”
Mr Iemma said senior officers from the States’ respective transport departments met in Queensland on Friday to finalise a discussion paper on the issue and details for community consultation.
“We’re convening a Cross Border Transport Taskforce to drive the rail link investigation and to look at potential rail corridors with a view to preserving land,” Mr Iemma said.
“The Taskforce will look at expanding the heavy rail link south from Coolangatta Airport into NSW,” he said.
Teaming up for results in health
“Both governments have a clear common interest to ensure that health and transport services on both sides of the border are planned in a co-ordinated fashion in the interests of local residents,” Mr Iemma said
“This planning will provide detailed analysis and assessment of the health care needs of people in South Eastern Queensland and Northern NSW over the next 10 to 15 years,” Mr Iemma said.
“This will help ensure that we are appropriately prepared to meet the future health care needs of our growing and ageing community,” he said.
“The study will also explore opportunities for co-operation and integration of health services provided to this region by both NSW and Queensland,” Mr Beattie said.
“The Health Ministers have directed that this advice be provided by July 2007 so that future decisions on significant investment in health infrastructure are well informed,” he said.
Tuesday 5 December 2006
Media contact: Premier’s office 32244500
Terms of Reference for Health planning study
To review and report on the health care needs of the people of northern NSW and south-eastern Queensland to 2016 and 2021, through the following components of work:
1. A determination of the current and projected catchment populations for northern NSW and south eastern Queensland and provide an assessment of the planning parameters used by both NSW Health and Queensland Health in the projections of activity for this region to 2016 and 2021.
2. The assessment of current, approved new, and proposed supply of services to this region to 2016 and 2021. This analysis will include acute (inpatient and ambulatory), sub-acute, mental health, and community-based services.
3. A specific assessment of highly specialised services that may need to be developed in these timeframes.
4. Opportunities for cooperation and integration of health services provided to this region by NSW and Queensland.”