SWANSEA ELECTORATE HEALTH SERVICES

It is no secret that the Minns Labor Government inherited a health system stretched to breaking point right across the State, including in the electorate of Swansea. I note the presence in the Chamber of my neighbour, the member for Wyong. I know every Hunter and Central Coast MP agrees on the need to invest in our region—not just in buildings, but in people. I know investing in workers is a foreign concept for members opposite. Maybe if they listened, they might learn a thing or two about how to actually run a State by putting the people of that State first.

Putting people first is exactly what we are doing by beginning the rollout of safe staffing levels at hospitals across our State. It is something that the Swansea community has long asked for, and I credit the Minister for Health for listening to the community and our frontline health workers to deliver this critical reform of our health system. The Minister joined me last week in the Swansea electorate to unveil the site of the new Caves Beach ambulance station that will service Caves Beach, Swansea, Murrays Beach, Nords Wharf, Cams Wharf and Catherine Hill Bay. We then visited the Belmont Hospital, where he was very warmly welcomed. The new ambulance station is being delivered as part of the New South Wales Government's $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program.

I advocated for the establishment of the ambulance station at Caves Beach, and it has been welcomed by the community. I also joined the Minister in the topping out of the acute services building as part of the $835 million John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct. The acute services building is scheduled for completion in 2026 and will deliver a 60 per cent increase in intensive care unit capacity and almost 50 per cent more theatres. The John Hunter Hospital is the busiest emergency department in the State, handling nearly 90,000 presentations a year, including from as far away as Moree and Lismore.

Not only is this $853 million investment delivering improved health services to our community, but also it is backing critical local jobs. During the construction process, up to 800 local jobs have been created. Last month the Hunter New England Local Health District welcomed 118 new junior doctors and the Central Coast Local Health District welcomed 65 junior doctors, further underlining our commitment not just to invest in new health infrastructure but to invest in people so that our community can access the best possible health care. On top of this, the latest batch of paramedic interns has seen 16 deployed to Hunter Zone 1 and 14 to Central Coast Zone. Both service the Swansea electorate.

This record is in stark contrast to that of the former Government, which cut funding to our health services, including closing down our local GP Access clinics. The Swansea community can be assured that the Government they now have—the Minns Labor Government—is committed to improving health services in our region for the people of our region because they deserve the highest possible level of health care.