Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about the Medicare urgent care clinic announced by the Albanese government in the March budget to be located in my electorate of Flinders, in Somerville, but which has now apparently shifted to Hastings without any consultation. A recently published open tender from the South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network makes this clear. They're seeking a site on the Mornington Peninsula with a preference for Hastings. I do welcome this much-needed investment in our area from this government, and I have a long list of items which I constantly raise with government ministers. Hastings is well deserving of greater medical facilities. It's a 15-minute drive from Somerville and 30 minutes from Frankston Hospital. But, when governments make big undertakings to our community, locals deserve to see them delivered where and how they were promised or at least to be consulted on such a significant change. Somerville has high need. Indeed 33.2 per cent of Somerville residents have one or more long-term health conditions compared with just 27.4 per cent Victoria-wide. It is an area that's experiencing rapid urban growth, with 20,000 people now calling the township home. Last Friday, Health Minister Mark Butler put out a press release reiterating the plan to establish an urgent care clinic in Somerville. The health minister insists the clinic is still coming, and that's good, but why does the tender point elsewhere, and what are the possible proponents supposed to do? Are they supposed to trust the minister's press release or the tender documents? This government talks about transparency. This might be a good place to start.