Welcome to my monthly news update from the Electorate of Moore.
The McGowan Labor Government can no longer justify its savage cuts to regional education and Community Resource Centres with news that WA is to benefit from a $4.7 billion GST windfall over eight years following a Federal Government proposal. A portion of these funds must be quarantined for regional WA – to save Moora College, the Community Resource Centre network and reinstate the Royalties for Regions program to its original purpose of driving development in the regions.
The Education Minister had explained the December 2017 decision to savage regional education on the grounds that ‘the State budget was in ruins’. Remarkably Labor then went on to announce countless projects in the Perth Metro area and Labor Members have subsequently admitted that the closure of Moora College had nothing to do with budget repair. Access to education is a fundamental right and Labor’s discriminatory and callous decision to close Moora College and slash funding to CRCs by 40 percent is totally uncalled for in light of the windfall GST funds.
I welcome the $2.5 million aged accommodation funding for six new independent living units in Dongara. The Nationals delivered unprecedented investment into aged care while in Government and the new Dongara facilities will complement aged housing funding allocated in the last term of government in Northampton, Mullewa , Morawa and Mingenew. I am relieved that the projects in the Shire of Victoria Plains are still under consideration but frustrated that the other projects in Dalwallinu, Toodyay and Moora, although approved by the former government, have been axed by the Labor Government.
Upgrades to the Moora Hospital and the Jurien Bay Health Centre were officially opened on July 24. Part of a huge capital works program across regional WA initiated by the last government, these works were funded by Royalties for Regions. Information systems and Telehealth services at both sites were upgraded. The $5.23 million upgrade to Jurien Bay Health Centre includes a new outpatient care wing with three treatment bays, child health consultation room, dental treatment room, emergency department triage assessment area, video-conference enabled multipurpose consultation rooms, a new nurse call system and a larger generator to support the entire Jurien Bay centre when emergency power is needed. The $5.3 million refurbishment at Moora Hospital included two new renal dialysis chairs, five consultation rooms, a parent room, a new emergency department triage assessment area, an expanded aged care lounge, upgrades to electrical, mechanical and hydraulics services and a new nurse call system.
Aged care and disability support services changed from July 2018 as the Federal Government took on this role. Home and Community Care (HACC) will be known as the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP). If you have trouble accessing an aged care package, CHSP or NDIS, please contact my office on tel: 99 272333 or email: MooreElectorate@mp.wa.gov.au