Money there for hospital: Bligh
MONEY for a new Cairns hospital could be put aside as early as this year's state budget, Premier Anna Bligh has revealed.
Speaking exclusively to The Cairns Post after her visit here yesterday, Ms Bligh said if a health service plan due next month recommended a new hospital, money would be allocated immediately.
"Say the service plan anticipates a new hospital should be built, and I'm only talking hypothetically here, we would want to land-bank now," she said.
That meant setting aside an initial pool of money in the coming budget and keeping it coming in subsequent ones, the Premier said.
"We do have to find more capacity in Cairns and I anticipate we will have to budget this year for new infrastructure," she said.
Ms Bligh revealed a month-long deadline for the release of the Cairns and district health service plan.
"I looked them (hospital managers) in the eye and said 'How long?’ and they said 'Four weeks' and I will hold them to it," she said.
The Premier yesterday made time to talk to community and health leaders to discuss the hospital's future, following a community campaign for a new hospital launched by The Cairns Post.
Cairns Chamber of Commerce president Jeremy Blockey said he was encouraged by Ms Bligh's interest and her commitment to meet again within 48 hours of the service plan being released.
Ms Bligh said the services plan would outline short, medium and long-term solutions for the district, covering the next 15 years.
"We are determined to make the right decision for the growth that this city is experiencing," she said.
State Health Minister Stephen Robertson, who attended with local MPs Desley Boyle for Cairns and Steve Wettenhall for Barron River, said he knew the plan had been a long time coming.
"But because we need to get the fundamentals right about how we grow our services in this fast growing area of the state, we need to take a bit of time to get it right," he said.
Mr Robertson would not comment on The Cairns Post’s campaign, saying it was important to first determine which health services were needed and how they would be provided.
Thousands of residents have signed petitions demanding the Premier deliver a new hospital.
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Health issues: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Health Minister Stephen Robertson discuss discuss the Cairns Base Hospital's future.
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