A re-elected Coalition Government will help expand health services in Coffs Harbour by providing Southern Cross University with funding to complete Stage 2 of its Health Services Precinct.
Nationals Minister for Regional Education, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, said $27.5 million will be invested to provide a community health clinic with speech and voice labs, mental health and therapy rooms, rehabilitation and exercise studios and consultation rooms.
“Our commitment to invest $27.5 million to deliver Stage 2 of the Southern Cross University Coffs Harbour Health Precinct will deliver a community health clinic that will serve the community and provide clinical placements for students,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Coffs Harbour is one of four emerging North Coast Regional Cities with population set to grow by 25% in the next 15 years.
“This investment will deliver a vital health hub for the region to meet the increased demand for health services, and will help to future proof Coffs Harbour’s healthcare workforce which is essential for the region to continue to grow and prosper.
“There will be state of the art laboratories and teaching facilities in bioscience, anatomy, physiology and chemistry and simulation labs to support STEM degrees.”
Federal Nationals member for Cowper, Pat Conaghan, said the proposal builds on the Government’s initial $12 million investment in Stage 1 of the Precinct and recognises the growing needs of the community.
“I have been working on securing funding for over two years after the project was brought to me by Vice Chancellor Tyrone Carlin, so to see it come to fruition is fantastic,” Mr Conaghan said.
“More than 150 jobs will be created during construction, and we expect an additional 800 students in the first five years will be able to study here, adding not just to the local population but the visitor and tourist economy as well.”
Vice Chancellor Carlin said the facilities will create local jobs, guarantee essential healthcare services, and contribute to the growth and prosperity of the region.
“This is a truly exciting announcement for the University. We are grateful for the opportunity to realise the vision for these new cutting-edge facilities that will attract students and support the development of the regional health workforce of the future,” Professor Carlin said.
“The University is committed to working closely with its partners and the community in the region to ensure the benefits of the funding are realised and that we support the development of a thriving future for the mid-north coast.”
With a co-contribution of $12.5 million the $40 million investment in the Precinct will support and attract new students to the Coffs region, create jobs and guarantee increased delivery of health care services.
The Nationals in government continues to build on its more than $120 billion investment in regional Australia – the engine-room of our nation’s economy – to ensure a sustainable, prosperous and secure future for people living in the regions.
The $2 billion Regional Accelerator Program is part of an unprecedented $21 billion investment in our regions and infrastructure across the nation unveiled through the 2022-23 Federal Budget to make our nation wealthier and stronger, create tens of thousands of regional jobs and drive our economic growth.
Only the Nationals in Government will continue to deliver a better future for Coffs Harbour, and this is part of our plan to build a strong economy and a stronger future.
More information on the 2022-23 Budget can be found at www.budget.gov.au.
