Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of the many different honours and responsibilities which come with this job, perhaps the most satisfying for me over the last few years has been to assist in some small way to ensure the doctors were able to be found for the towns of Lang Lang, Pearcedale, Koo Wee Rupp and Crib Point and Phillip Island, amongst others.

I am, however, now dismayed to be advised that these areas, which have been either outer metropolitan or rural in their classification are now about to be reclassified under an arrangement between the federal and state governments as inner metropolitan. These are not inner metropolitan areas; these are clearly either outer metropolitan or rural and regional areas: Lang Lang, Tooradin, Pearcedale, Crib Point, Phillip Island. These are areas which have real challenges in attracting medical workforce. I know; I have worked with each of those towns and helped in some small way, I hope, to deal with the challenges that they have had with the support of successive health ministers. At this moment, to reclassify these towns with what is patently absurd as a definition of ‘inner metropolitan’ flies in the face of reality and, much more importantly, of human need.

I want to make a direct appeal today to the Minister for Health and Ageing, whom I am due to see later this week. I would make these three points. Firstly, please reconsider the arrangement proposed by the Victorian government and any federal support for it which would see towns such as Horsham classified as inner metropolitan, let alone these areas around Westernport and the Mornington Peninsula. Secondly, there are two specific examples of immediate need. The Crib Point Medical Centre is in need of approval of status for a doctor to be given the support of the outer metropolitan relocation scheme. I would ask that an exemption be made to recognise the extreme need of this town. It is a town which does it tough and which, to my knowledge, has not recently had a medical centre. I am delighted that there is a new medical centre. They have a doctor who is willing to work there, but they need approval for that doctor. The practice manager, Sunil Kumar, has written to me seeking that exemption, and I respectfully ask the minister to give that great consideration because of the human impact.

The other point is that the Hazelwood Medical Centre is proposing a new practice in Tooradin. For that they need an international medical graduate approved for Lang Lang and an international medical graduate approved for Tooradin. That would give this area two new doctors. Again I say to the health minister: I would be grateful for your consideration.