Construction advancing on new Browns Plains health precinct

Construction is advancing on a new one-stop-shop to deliver expanded health services to residents on Brisbane’s southside, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Mr Robertson was in Hillcrest to inspect construction work on the $26.4 million Browns Plains Ambulatory and Community Care Centre.

“This new health precinct will service one of the fastest growing populations in Australia,” he said.

“Construction is on track and we expect work to be completed by the end of the year, with the centre becoming fully operational in the first half of next year.

“It will provide local residents with a wide range of health services in the one location, allowing more patients to be treated closer to home while easing pressure on public hospitals.

“These services will include aged care and rehabilitation, children's health services, adult community mental health services, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, dental clinics, antenatal clinics and chronic disease prevention and management services.

“Importantly, an Early Years Centre to be run by the Department of Communities will be co-located on the site.”

Mr Robertson said the health precinct would service residents in Calamvale and Browns Plains in the North to Park Ridge and Jimboomba in the South, including the fast growing areas of Boronia Heights and Regents Park.

“There will be around 120 workers staffing the precinct, 80 of whom will be filling new positions,” he said.

“The Browns Plains Health Precinct reflects the latest thinking in promoting good health, managing chronic disease and reducing the need for hospital treatment through early intervention.

“We know we need to look to the future and this model of care will address some of the challenges we’ve already identified in our Advancing Health Action strategy, including:

• Expanding our health services to meet the needs of a growing population;
• Giving mothers and babies the best start; and
• Stemming the devastating tide of chronic disease.

“It will also mean less travel for patients, enabling them to progress from one service to the next in a carefully supervised and co-ordinated sequence.

“The Browns Plains Health Precinct is delivering on the Bligh Government’s commitment to deliver Queenslanders the best health services, no matter where they live.”

MEDIA: Martin Philip 3225 2680 or 0407 675 008