Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Saturday is an important date for the people of NSW. It is a day in which the good people of the St George area are faced with two stark options: choosing an effective Liberal government, which is getting things done, or returning to the days of Labor's dysfunction and achieving nothing.

When the people go to the polling booths this Saturday, the two options presented to them will be in stark contrast to one another. As the representative for the Barton area, which comprises the beautiful St George region, I know firsthand the challenges that face my constituents and residents. I have grown up in this area, where I am now raising a family of my own with my wife.

I can say, with hand on heart, that health care in our area is the most talked about topic whether we doorknock, phone canvass or receive feedback from our community surveys. When the good people of the St George area go to the polls this Saturday, I would like to remind them of the following.

For 16 years residents in St George watched the area languish, despite having a state representative who promised them the world and delivered nothing. During that time, St George Hospital repeatedly asked for assistance with funding to renovate and build new facilities to accommodate the increasing number of people it was servicing. Let me provide a snapshot of how vital St George Hospital is. St George Hospital's emergency department is one of the busiest in New South Wales. It takes in more than 68,000 people each year—about 25,000 of whom are admitted. Over the years, it has quickly developed into other medical departments drawing specialists and patients from all around Australia. As the population expands, especially in the St George region, it puts a strain on the hospital when there are not enough resources to support the level of care required for its patients.

Despite the outstanding reputation of the hospital's dedicated health professionals, people consistently lamented the poor state of St George Hospital itself. Up until recently, it was difficult to believe that St George Hospital could be considered world-class. The staff had always been exceptional in their treatment and care of their patients, but the conditions in which they worked in—given Australia is a First World economy with a world-class healthcare system—was questionable at best and appalling at worst. Years of continuous neglect by the previous Labor government has taken its toll on the facilities and infrastructure of the hospital. The hospital had been rated 'poor' and in a state of 'code red'. What I saw on our detailed tour of the hospital were cramped and outdated facilities with some departments operating solely out of demountables and patients suffering from toilet shortages.

I cannot begin to fathom the kind of effect it had on the morale of those being admitted for serious illnesses, as well as the hardworking doctors, surgeons and nurses that face this each and every day whilst saving lives. The New South Wales Labor Party did nothing. The member for Kogarah, Cherie Burton, simply sat in her office—at least I would like to think she did, but most likely she was probably in her residence in Kurnell for the past seven years, and recently Nowra, as far away as possible from the seat that she was elected to represent—and squandered the opportunities that she had to represent her constituents. But the New South Wales Liberal government, led by Mike Baird with the Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, committed and delivered the much needed $307 million in funding for construction within their first term of government.

What does $307 million mean for St George Hospital? A new seven-storey acute services building that will include intensive care, high dependency and cardiac intensive care departments and 18 operating theatres, which is double the current number. In addition, there will be acute inpatient beds and a new sterilising services department. Furthermore, another $39 million grant was delivered—again within a four-year Liberal tenure—for a new emergency department, which I had the pleasure of attending on its opening day. The new emergency department includes: five resuscitation bays; an acute hall with 34 treatment spaces; two designated fast-track zones—one for adults and one for children; an emergency medical unit; relocation of the psychiatric emergency care centre; satellite imaging; and an eight-space, off-street ambulance drop-off zone. The old emergency department will be replaced by 52 car spots, which is much needed in the area. Finally, another $8 million has been delivered to redevelop the St George Mental Health Service.

These are wonderful examples of the Baird Liberal government responding to community needs that should not require 16 years of lobbying. New South Wales Labor had their chance and did nothing. I know St George residents will be thinking of this when they vote, and I urge them to support the Liberal candidates Nick Aroney, John Flowers and Mark Coure this Saturday.