- New multi-storey car park to support Mackay Base Hospital expansion
- $613.1 million investment into Mackay-Whitsunday health in 2023-24 Budget
- Mackay-Whitsunday infrastructure spending of $623.4 million, plus cost-of-living relief for every Queensland household
Mackay Base Hospital will receive a multi-storey car park as part of the Palaszczuk Government's $613.1 million investment in the region's hospital and health service in the 2023-24 State Budget.
Preliminary work and analysis have already begun to ensure that future car parking demand and access needs for staff, patients and visitors to the health facility is met.
While the demand study is ongoing, preliminary calculations are the carpark will have more than 1000 spaces and there has been a $75 million provision in this year's budget for future construction costs.
The project will significantly boost the number of car parks currently available and will support the $256.1 million total spend for the expansion and improvements to the Mackay Hospital site.
This expansion will deliver 128 new patient beds across paediatric, medical and surgical wards by 2026.
These infrastructure commitments are on top of the 2023-24 State Budget's $613.1 million for the Mackay Hospital and Health Service to deliver even better access to healthcare.
The Budget provides an infrastructure spend of $623.4 million for the Mackay-Whitsunday region, including $44.8 million toward the Walkerston Bypass to improve safety and reduce congestion.
An additional $22.5 million is provided for Stage 1 construction of the Mackay Ring Road Project in partnership with the Australian Government.
The Palaszczuk Government continues to invest in education and will provide $32.8 million to maintain, improve and upgrade schools in the region to ensure all students have access to world-class education.
An additional $28 million from this Budget will be invested to expand and improve social housing in the region, as well as an additional $4.4 million to provide services for people experiencing homelessness.
This Budget recognises the importance of tourism to local jobs and continues to boost funding for the industry, with $3.9 million to extend the Ngaro Walking Track in the Whitsunday Islands National Park and $750,000 to support student placements as part of the Great Barrier Reef Education Experience Program.
The Palaszczuk Government is providing $1.48 billion in this Budget to support households and small businesses facing cost of living pressures, including a $550 electricity bill cost of living rebate for all households, up to $1,072 in total rebates for vulnerable households and $650 for eligible small businesses.
Quotes attributable to the Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick:
"Car parking is the last thing patients and visitors to our hospitals should be worried.
"A new multi-storey car park at the Mackay Base Hospital will make life easier for the local community, while supporting jobs during construction.
"The new car park will make it easier for staff, patients and families to access the hospital and focus on the important task of improving the health of Queenslanders.
"Our 'Big Build' infrastructure spend will support about 2100 jobs across the region, improve healthcare facilities and upgrade roads and other transport infrastructure to make it easier for people to mover around their communities.
"This Budget continues our commitment to improve outcomes for students and teachers, we are upgrading schools in Proserpine, Moranbah and Moranbah East to provide these communities with better facilities to enable students to thrive.
"We are providing a significant additional electricity bill relief that will more than offset typical electricity bill increases in 2023-24, as part of more than $8.2 billion available in concessions in 2023-24.
"This includes a $550 Cost of Living Rebate for all Queensland households, with vulnerable Queensland households to receive a total of $1,072 in electricity bill rebates."
Quotes attributable to Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert:
"It's great to see another investment in the Mackay Base Hospital.
"We have already announced the $256.1 million expansion and improvement to the hospital site, and the new car park will make it easier for the community to use this facility."
Quotes attribute to Mackay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Susan Gannon
"Mackay Base Hospital staff, patients and visitors will be incredibly happy to know there is an end in sight to our carparking challenges.
"We know on some days it can be hard to find a park, particularly when we have big specialist outpatient clinics, and that this is frustrating for everyone.
"The demand for carparking is steadily increased as we bring on new services, which in turn means we are employing more doctors, nurses and support staff.
"As we provide an increasing amount of care for our community and build an additional 128 beds, this demand will only grow.
"I acknowledge that construction will create additional parking pressures so the health service will now start to consider mitigation strategies such as off-site parking to minimise this disruption."
Mackay-Whitsunday Budget investments include:
- $4.4 million in 2023-24 for the upgrades at Proserpine Hospital, out of a total $7.9 million total spend
- $637,060 for Bowen Hospital to improve primary health care and refurbish existing wards
- $250,000 to establish significant industrial developments for the Salisbury Plains Industrial Precinct
- $10.4 million to establish a new 66kV switchyard and provide network reliability for the Airlie Beach and Whitsunday Islands communities
- $2.3 million to continue replacement of the fire at rescue station at Airlie Beach
- $50,000 to upgrade the Collinsville Golf Club clubhouse
- $800,000 to provide a connection between the Midge Point Drinking Water Scheme and the Bloomsbury Drinking Water Scheme
- $7.7 million to construct new road to connect the Bruce Hwy with Mackay-Slade Point Road (in partnership with Australian Government)
- $1.2 million to upgrade lighting and security and Mackay Stadium
- $448,676 for the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program to protect Indigenous cultural heritage values in Mackay
- $808,707 for the Mackay Housing Project to provide emergency accommodation for victim/survivors of domestic family violence
- $1 million for the Mackay Community Support Centre to redevelop the existing centre
- $5.5 million to replace secondary systems at the Nebo substation to ensure ongoing reliable supply for the community
- $1 million to redevelop the existing Moranbah Community Centre
- $99.9 million to undertake network initiated capital replacement works
- $2.2 million to construct affordable housing for non-mining workers in Moranbah
- $3 million to continue the upgrade of the Mackay Police facility
- $3.3 million to complete the replacement policy facility at Clermont
- $1.9 million to support the Resources Centre of Excellence in Mackay to develop a Future Industries Hub.
To access the full range of concessions, rebates and supports available, Queenslanders can visit www.queenslandsavers.qld.gov.au
