Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about the issue of doctor shortages in regional, rural and remote Australia—and, indeed, across non-metropolitan Australia, in many ways. This is obviously not a new issue, as I spoke about the doctor shortages in this place in March last year, but it remains a significant issue. In any community health care should be of paramount importance and should have the focus not only of state authorities but also of our federal government and our federal minister.

There are a number of towns in my electorate which are trying desperately to attract doctors by improving local medical infrastructure and improving local services. One of those towns I want to talk about first is Aramac. Aramac used to be the headquarters of the Aramac Shire Council, before the Labor government in Queensland amalgamated the Aramac Shire Council with Barcaldine and Jericho shires—forced against the will of the people. But the Aramac Shire Council, which incorporates the community of Muttaburra, is a very significant community. It is not large in population but is strategically important. With the opening of the Galilee coal basin in the future, and the coal-seam methane gas industry, which is extending ahead of the development of those coal reserves, Aramac will be a significant dormitory town—and health services, as you would know, Madam Deputy Speaker, are important for the wellbeing of all who live there.

The town of Aramac is not in my electorate of Maranoa but in early December the boundaries will be gazetted and it will fall back into Maranoa. I would like to know what the member for Flynn, who was elected to represent that area, has been doing about the lack of doctors for the people of Aramac. I will be visiting there before Christmas, and I will certainly be interested to hear what he has been doing to address this issue.

When the Liberals and Nationals were in government we had a rural medical infrastructure program, a very successful program. Those on the other side said that it was a rort, but we notice that they still have it—under a different name and a different badge. We provided some $400,000-odd for rural medical infrastructure to be built in Aramac. They have a wonderful medical precinct. They have a house for a doctor, the hospital and of course the medical centre. I want to pay tribute to former Aramac shire mayor, Gary Peoples, and the way he led that community. He understands the importance of providing good quality health care to a community. I call on the health minister to look at the incentives that are provided by the Commonwealth government to see if there is a way that we can attract a doctor to this wonderful medical precinct that would service not only Aramac but also the Muttaburra community.

I want to talk about another town in my electorate, Dalby, and about the Myall Medical Practice, which is trying to address district workforce shortages. Dalby is in the Surat coal basin. That centre has recorded something like 2,000 new patients on its books because of the growth of the Surat coal basin. They are not getting much help from the state government—all they want is the royalty revenue and to suck it down to George Street to try and pay off the massive deficit that Anna Bligh, the Premier, who was Treasurer and infrastructure minister, has built up and continues to build up. They would like some of that money to not only help the community to attract doctors but also help with some medical infrastructure in the town of Dalby. As the Surat coal basin expands, it will be important for not only Queensland and Dalby and the communities of the Surat coal basin but also the nation.

I would also like to touch on the town of Killarney, in the very eastern part of my electorate. Killarney have been applying for rural medical infrastructure money under the program, which is now under the Health banner here in Canberra. They missed out the first time around. I am not quite sure why. Killarney want funding for the same reason that the Liberal and National parties put medical infrastructure money into Aramac: so that there is a place where doctors can practise and they do not have to invest in infrastructure. I will be supporting them in their quest to put in another application under the rural medical infrastructure program. I hope that the government listens to these communities. They are small rural communities and deserve the support of the federal government. They are taxpayers as well. (Time expired)