Minute with the Mayor Ramon Jayo

I recently had the opportunity of speaking with the Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, The Honourable Tim Nicolls concerning matters affecting health services in our district. Our meeting followed my earlier correspondence to the Minister wherein I raised issues, including appointment waiting times of four to six weeks, and practices actually closing their books to new patients due to an inability to handle existing patient numbers, as a result of practitioner shortage throughout rural areas of Queensland. I also raised an apparent inability of existing long established and well credentialled local practices not being able to attract qualified doctors to rural areas for the required GP training programs.

It is my understanding that attraction of young doctors to GP training in rural areas is quite problematic when one considers that the incentives provided by government for doctors to establish in rural areas such as Ingham are no different at all to doctors who establish in say Townsville or Cairns.  How can that be considered an incentive for venturing to rural areas?

I am informed that the Crisafulli Government has been working on addressing these very issues and are developing a Regional Medical Pathway Program intended to create, among other things, a pipeline of doctors to work in regional hospitals and private clinics under arrangements with hospitals. The Minister advised that he will provide an update on progress within a few months.

Whilst I also had the opportunity to meet with many other State Ministers on flood related issues, including permitting vegetation works to improve drainage through coastal areas, and road improvements to address flood immunity, one conversation that captured my imagination was a meeting with the Honourable Tim Mander, Minister for the Olympic Games. My discussion with the Minister centred upon enabling Council an avenue to sell our district tourism and liveability to visitors during the shoulder periods to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games through the Olympics marketing mechanisms. Whilst in agreement with such request, Minister Mander informed that the Crisafulli Government has a distinct appetite to leave, within reason of course, a legacy of the Brisbane Olympics.  Meaning the potential for new, revised, refurbished or upgraded sporting facilities and venues in areas outside of metropolitan Brisbane were under consideration. This is something that our district sporting organisations would relish, so we will keenly await the guidelines.

And again, and still, I must unfortunately make mention of the weather. Whilst we have seen widespread areas of rain develop across northwest and western Queensland over the last few days, the Bureau is advising that slow moving showers and thunderstorms could redevelop about the tropical east coast between Cooktown and Townsville from early week. Localised flash flooding may become an increased risk, given the already saturated nature of our catchments and watercourses. We need to be prepared for any hazard that comes our way, which includes for possible periods of isolation due to flooding. So, if you have not already done so, and if you still have the opportunity, finalise your preparations now. For information on how to be prepared, visit the Hinchinbrook Shire Council disaster dashboard.

Until next week, stay safe.