ACT ALP - Katy Gallagher - Member for Molonglo

Jon Stanhope and Katy Gallagher

Welcome to 2010

Happy New Year! I hope you have had a chance to rejuvenate over the Christmas break and are starting the year feeling relaxed and refreshed.

2009 was a particularly busy year for me and threw up a number of challenges such as the effects of the Global Financial Crisis and the swine flu pandemic. I was very pleased with the way the Government and the hard working staff in ACT Health and Treasury managed these challenges. In fact, the ACT has weathered the global economic slowdown very well so far and is currently one of the top performing economies in the country.

The big challenge for 2010 will be continuing to manage our economic recovery. The GFC had a significant impact on our bottom line which may mean some difficult decisions in the years ahead. The Federal Government remains a major economic player in this town, so there are some ongoing risks to the ACT's outlook in the medium term as we expect the Commonwealth to moderate its spending in the future. However, I am committed to delivering a sustainable and responsible budget that further supports the ACT's economic recovery.

We have some exciting plans for 2010, particularly in Health as we continue the rebuild of our public hospital system. A number of key projects are due to come on line this year including the new Canberra Hospital multi-storey car park, new mental health facilities and our Walk-in Centre which will treat people with minor illnesses and injuries, taking pressure off our very busy emergency departments. We will also start construction of our new state-of-the-art Women's and Children's Hospital.

This year I also hope to finalise the purchase of Calvary Public Hospital which will pave the way for new public and private hospitals on the Bruce campus. These plans are all about delivering a more efficient, integrated public hospital system for the people of Canberra. This is about ensuring our health system is ready for the future, and that we are able to deliver cutting edge health facilities that help us to attract and retain the nation's best health professionals.

I look forward to another exciting year working with the Canberra community to deliver valuable community assets and create a healthy, happy and harmonious community that we can continue to be proud of.

Future governance and ownership of Calvary Public Hospital and Clare Holland House

The ACT Government has been consulting the community over the proposed changes to the ownership and governance of Calvary Public Hospital and Clare Holland House.

As a Government, it is our responsibility to ensure we provide the best possible health care to the people of the ACT region and that we deliver this in the most efficient manner. Consistent with these objectives, we have been in discussions with the Little Company of Mary Health Care Limited (LCMHC) about the possible transfer of ownership, governance and control of Calvary Hospital at Bruce to the ACT Government, with the Territory to transfer Clare Holland House Hospice to LCMHC. The proposal involves the sale of Calvary to the Government for $77 million with LCMHC purchasing Clare Holland House for $9 million.

One of the key drivers behind the proposal is the need to invest $200 million in the Calvary campus at Bruce over the coming years to expand the hospital and prepare for increased demand for health services. The scale of the investment presents a significant challenge for the Government. How do we make that investment in an asset not owned by the Government? Under the current arrangements, the Government would have to gift $200 million to LCMHC which has consequences for our Budget and our economy.

There has been considerable community interest in the proposal and if you want to know more about it, you will find a number of key documents online at Calvary Consultation.