Media Releases

The future of Mooroopna Historical Society has been secured thanks to a $200,000 Victorian Government grant and support from Greater Shepparton City Council (GSCC) and the local community, Member for Shepparton Jeanette Powell said today.

The money fulfils an election promise Mrs Powell made prior to the Coalition’s election victory last year. The Victorian Government funding for the purchase was provided to Greater Shepparton City Council which also contributed $50,000.

Mrs Powell met with the Historical Society Committee and the Acting CEO of GSCC Julie Salomon at Grutzner House today to celebrate the purchase.

Mrs Powell said the funding has enabled the Society to purchase the historic Grutzner House, which is part of the old Mooroopna Base Hospital and the society’s home for the past three years.

“The Society has done a wonderful job in raising the remaining funds from the local community who were keen to see the museum stay onsite at the old Mooroopna Hospital,” Mrs Powell said.

“The Museum houses one of the most significant, complete and unique medical collections in Australia.

“It also has an extensive collection of war memorabilia and photographs and artefacts depicting the history of Mooroopna.

“Grutzner House is ideal for the Society’s needs, being in good condition and occupying nearly two standard house blocks.

“The space required to store all these items is considerable and I am pleased that Grutzner House is now in the hands of the Historical Society.”

Mrs Powell said the grant has ensured the society will keep its collection for the enjoyment and interest of the people of Mooroopna and visitors to the town.

“It is important for the volunteers of the Mooroopna Historical Society to have a museum to house this unique historical collection so it was not sent to storage and lost to the community forever.”

Member for Shepparton, Jeanette Powell said the Goulburn Valley community will benefit from an extra $440 million in funding for public hospitals as a result the successful COAG outcome negotiated in Canberra earlier this year.

The Victorian Minister for Health, David Davis has announced Goulburn Valley Health will get a $1.5 million boost from the allocation to expand its services for people recovering after a hospital stay or after illness or injury.

Member for Shepparton Jeanette Powell said this was great news for the local community.

“This funding will provide Goulburn Valley Health with funds for the refurbishment of eight subacute beds,” Mrs Powell said.

“This is a significant boost for health services at the hospital and will allow GV Health to improve its services for patient recovery.

“GV Health provides a large number of medical services right across the region and I am very pleased that the Coalition has committed these funds to support rehabilitation services at the hospital,” Mrs Powell said.

During a recent visit to the Alfred Hospital with the federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, Mr Davis said the Victorian community would benefit from the deal negotiated by the Premier at COAG in February.

“The funding under the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services will support the Victorian Government’s commitment to improved access to elective surgery, treatment in emergency departments and subacute care,” Mr Davis said.

Mr Davis said the agreement will fund the treatment for an extra 32,000 Victorian patients this year. Funding of $89.4 million will also flow from the agreement to new capital projects across 13 health services (20 campuses) that will increase elective surgery and emergency department capacity and improve patient care.

These projects will see the opening of 106 new hospital beds, including at least 60 short stay beds, six intensive care and additional high dependency beds. Emergency department treatment will be streamlined with 20 emergency department cubicles built plus additional recovery bays, theatres, procedure rooms and day surgery capacity.

Mr Davis said the Government has made a commitment to initiatives to reduce access blockages and free up capacity in hospital emergency departments, and to a more equitable approach to elective surgery for patients currently waiting for their surgery.

“This agreement also provides significant new investment in subacute services for people recovering after a hospital stay or after an illness or injury,” Mr Davis said.

$115.3 million of the sub acute capital investment will be in Melbourne and $61.6 million in country Victoria, this will provide services to an extra 3600 patients.

The subacute investment will provide 326 new sub acute beds, centre and home based care in Victoria over four years, including:

• $27 million for to build 30 acquired brain injury rehabilitation service and 2 independent living units at Caulfield.
• $25 million for 30 new subacute beds to support inpatient services and a community rehabilitation centre at Mornington.
• $13.5 million to build 24 subacute beds to support inpatient services at Echuca.

Mr Davis said 19 hospitals and health services would share in the subacute expansion.

Victoria welcomes this additional investment in its health services.

However, the Victorian Government continues to remain concerned that the Victorian community is not getting its fair share of Commonwealth funding. The outcome of last week’s Federal budget is another example of Victoria missing out.

Victoria received just $182.5 million for 15 projects under the Health and Hospitals Regional Priority Round, representing around 14 per cent of the $1,328.8 million that was invested in projects across Australia, well below Victoria’s population share of 25 per cent. This is a poor outcome compared with $446.4 million for New South Wales, $243 million for Tasmania (including $250 million for the Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment) and $163.9 million for Queensland.

Victoria will also miss out on funding for long-stay older patients, receiving only $33.2 million over three years under the National Partnership (NP) on financial assistance for long-stay older patients, representing a 12 per cent share of the available funding. The 2010-11 Federal Budget estimated that Victoria would receive $70 million over three years based on a per capita share.

The new funding share is based on a census of long stay older patients. Victoria has a relatively low number of long-stay older patients due to significant state investment to reduce length of stay.

Member for Shepparton, Jeanette Powell, condemned the Brumby government over its lack of support to country Victoria in Parliament last week.
In a Notice of Motion Mrs Powell condemned the tired, out of touch Brumby government for its inability to support and provide leadership to rural councils who are struggling with small populations, large geographic areas and aging infrastructure.
“As Shadow Minister for Local Government, I have met with over 30 rural and regional councils and heard their concerns about State government cost shifting and the impact it is having,” Mrs Powell said.
“Small rural communities are hurting as they struggle to keep rates down while maintaining assets and providing services.
“The recent closure of Kirwans Bridge by Strathbogie Shire Council is the tip of the iceberg as rural councils struggle to maintain their public assets.”
Mrs Powell also criticised the government for sending much needed water from the Food Bowl of Australia to Melbourne thereby massively increasing water costs and decreasing availability and for exposing country Victorians to risk due to shortages of police, paramedics and hospital beds.
“The Brumby government has relied on flawed information to build the North-South pipeline to pump desperately needed irrigation water from the Goulburn system to Melbourne,” Mrs Powell said.
“The Auditor-General report, released last month, found the government’s water savings were implemented without proper costing, proper considerations of alternatives or proof the projects were feasible.
“Now the Government is going to extraordinary lengths to block the release of documents that show the original Food Bowl Project business case had failed to achieve the promised water savings.
Mrs Powell also said “It is outrageous that country Victoria still has a shortage of police, paramedics and hospital beds.
“The Labor Government has had nearly eleven years and more than $300 billion in revenue to improve the situation.
“These problems have not just happened overnight but are the result of years of Labor’s flawed policies and neglect,” Mrs Powell said.