Health and housing Coast’s big winners
GOLD Coast Health will have nearly 10 per cent more to spend this financial year after a boost to be announced at today’s State Budget.
The hospital and health service will receive $1.4 billion for 2017-18, $117 million more than the previous year and $570 million more than when it was established in 2012.
Treasurer Curtis Pitt will deliver a Budget surplus in Brisbane today, which will also include $110 million for public housing on the Gold Coast.
The Budget will also allocate previously announced funding for a new school in Coomera, and improvements and maintenance at schools across the region.
New funding of $4.5 million will be allocated for a multipurpose hall and new classrooms at Pimpama State School; $7.3 million will upgrade a substation at Labrador; and $6.6 million will go towards mental health programs targeting new mothers and older people.
Minister for Housing and Public Works Mick de Brenni said the 10-year Queensland Housing Strategy would provide 5000 extra homes, built at a cost of $1.8 billion.
He said the work was aimed at urgently addressing housing affordability.
Under the Housing Strategy, 392 social housing dwellings were scheduled to be built on the Coast at a cost of $110.4 million.
“Our new 10-year Housing Strategy will supercharge the building of affordable and social homes and drive 63 fulltime jobs each year on the Gold Coast,” Mr de Brenni said.
“The Palaszczuk Government will streamline processes so that the housing projects can get moving faster and Queensland builders and businesses can get involved quicker.”
Property Council Queensland director Chris Mountford said the strategy provided a much-needed assurance on the Government’s policy direction regarding social housing.
One issue identified in the strategy was the need to provide a range of housing for older Queenslanders, he said.
“Partnering with the property industry to achieve housing solutions is the key focus of the strategy, and is the only real solution available to achieve the Government’s vision,” he said.
Shadow Housing Minister Stephen Bennett said the Government’s latest pledge to boost public housing was nothing more than a preelection bid to minimise the damage from doing nothing for two and a half years.