The State Government has confirmed the contract for construction of the long-awaited Kalgoorlie Health Campus MRI suite will be released to Tenders WA next week, following questions from The Nationals WA in Parliament.
Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Jacqui Boydell called on the Government to fast-track the important construction project, saying it had the potential to inject millions of dollars into the local economy to support economic recovery from COVID-19.
“Now is the perfect time for Government to fast-track projects like the Kalgoorlie Health Campus MRI suite,” Ms Boydell said.
“The construction project will deliver a $6.3 million injection into the Goldfields economy, providing important local stimulus, helping create jobs and re-energising the building sector which may have seen work reduced in recent months.”
Ms Boydell said the State Government had previously made a commitment for construction to begin in the first half of 2020.
“While nobody could have foreseen the impacts of COVID-19, it’s unfortunate this window has been missed and I hope the Government will now pull out all the stops to expedite this project to support the Goldfields region,” she said.
“The Kalgoorlie-Boulder community has been eagerly awaiting the construction of this vital project for the region for over a decade and The Nationals WA will continue to seek assurances the MRI suite is delivered in a timely manner.”
Ms Boydell said she encouraged local companies to apply for the tender process.
“The State Government has confirmed local content will be given weighting as part of the Buy Local policy, meaning local companies who submit a competitive tender will be given strong consideration,” she said.
“I’d love to see this contract awarded to a local company so that the value of this project stays within the region and supports local employment.”
Ms Boydell said COVID-19 had also highlighted the intense pressure placed on regional health services.
“With regional border closures and reduced flights making it much more difficult to make the 1,200 km round trip to Perth for health appointments, it’s increasingly important we have a dedicated MRI machine for the region at the Kalgoorlie Health Campus.”
