Mareeba residents to cast a wary eye on Canberra tonight

Mareeba residents will tonight cast a wary eye on Canberra in the hope that Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison restores the $2.1M funding the Turnbull Government has ripped out of Mareeba Hospital’s budget.

In State Parliament today, Health and Ambulance Services Minister Cameron Dick again called on the Turnbull Government to restore the funding and not walk away from its responsibility to provide GP services to Mareeba residents.

“A failure to restore the funding for Mareeba Hospital in tonight’s Federal Budget will be yet another kick in the teeth for regional Queensland and another example of the Turnbull Government walking away from its responsibility to fund GP services,” the Minister said.

“Mareeba Hospital is due to lose this vital Federal Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas program funding in October this year, despite the fact that it has received the funding every year since 2006.

“With complete disregard for the Mareeba community, the Turnbull Government has decided the town’s population is too large to require this funding, reducing the program’s population eligibility level from 7000 to 5000 people.

“This decision lacks any understanding of the health needs of the Mareeba community. With their focus on southern states, Malcolm Turnbull and Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison simply don’t understand the needs of regional Queensland.

“I’m again calling on the Commonwealth to restore this important funding in tonight’s Budget.

“Restoring this funding will ensure Mareeba residents can continue to access vital GP services and the appropriate management of chronic diseases (including chronic disease, palliative care and diabetes education) beyond October 2017.

“While the Turnbull Government continues to shirk its responsibility to Mareeba, the Palaszczuk Government is continuing to provide record health funding and quality health services for Far North Queenslanders.

“Mareeba residents can be assured that the Palaszczuk Government has no plans to close or downgrade state health services at Mareeba Hospital, now, or in the future and there are no plans to downgrade the Emergency Department.

“Mareeba Hospital and community services provide an excellent level of service to meet the health needs of the community.”

Media contact: Michelle Wellington 0437 323 834