Anthony Albanese and Labor are building Queensland’s future, today announcing a re-elected Labor Government will deliver $27.5 million to CQUniversity for the construction of a Health and Engineering Wing at the university’s Cairns campus. 

This facility would open in 2028 and will:

• Double nursing student capacity from 630 to 1,260 to address predicted workforce shortages;
• Expand facilities to accommodate growth in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Clinical Exercise Physiology, addressing projected workforce shortages;
• Accelerate delivery of the Bachelor of Medical Imaging, bringing forward commencement to 2026 (two years earlier) helping to secure a pipeline of in demand graduates sooner;
• Expand the total student cohort from 4,000 to nearly 6,000 in Cairns. 

This investment builds on the Albanese Government’s $50 million investment in the October 2022-23 Budget for a CQUniversity campus in the Cairns CBD.

The new campus, scheduled for completion in 2028 will help address the region’s training and workforce needs.

The Albanese Labor Government is strengthening Medicare delivering:

• An urgent care clinic in Cairns South and another to be delivered in Cairns;
• Upgrading the headspace centre in Cairns to a headspace Plus;
• More bulk billing, with 9 in 10 GP visits to be bulk billed ($7.9 billion);
• More doctors and nurses, with the largest GP training program ever ($617 million);
• More choice, lower costs, and better health care for women ($792 million);
• Even cheaper medicines, with medicines on the PBS to cost no more than $25.

This is in stark contrast to Peter Dutton who wants to rip away funding from Medicare to fund his nuclear reactors.

Consistent with past practice, election commitments will be delivered in line with Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles.

Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“Labor is building Queensland’s Future.

“If re-elected, we will deliver an additional $27.5 million to construct a Health and Engineering Wing at the CQUniversity’s Cairns campus.

“This will mean more students can study closer to home and help close workforce shortages.

“We’re committed to strengthening Medicare, which is why we are also delivering another urgent care clinic in Cairns and also upgrading the current headspace centre to a headspace Plus.”

Quotes attributable to Health Minister Mark Butler:

“Only Labor will strengthen Medicare so that Far North Queenslanders get the health care they need.

“This investment will mean more home grown health care workers in allied health."

Quotes attributable to Matt Smith, Candidate for Leichhardt:

“This is incredible news for our community.

“We know if you train local you stay local.

“Only Labor is delivering record investments in Medicare for Far North Queensland.”