PM: It's good to be back here in Port. I just want to say one or two things about what we're doing here today. I was here, how long ago-
OAKESHOTT: August.
PM: 6 or 9 months ago, here in Port Macquarie. Rob suggested I come to this hospital to look at its local needs. And it was very influential on us as an Australian Government in framing the sort of reforms we want to bring to the nation at large. Our new National Health and Hospitals Network has been so much shaped by the experience here in this area. Because what we want is better health and better hospital services for all Australians, wherever they live- not just the capital cities, but in regional Australia as well.
The second thing I'd say is when I was here last, I seem to recall the local medicos taking an opportunity to throw in front of my nose their recommendation for enhanced cancer services here in the area as well. I think that's what happened. I remember being given a submission. That's been through the proper assessment procedures that we have through the health and hospitals fund. And what I'm pleased to do with Rob today is to confirm that we'll be investing $4.7 million to purchase a second linear accelerator for Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
Right here- this equipment is so crucial to the survivability of so many people afflicted with cancer. One of the terrible facts in Australian life is this- if you are in a rural community, the data tells us that you are three times more likely to die within your first five years of diagnosis than if you are in a major metropolitan centre. That's not good enough for Australia in the 21st century. We've got to change that. And part of changing it means making sure we have this sort of equipment spread as far and wide as possible across regional Australia.
Whether I've been in the last week in regional Queensland where people have not had enough regional cancer services, or in regional New South Wales or elsewhere in the country, this is really important. That's why this announcement is part of more than a half billion dollars worth of investment by the Australian Government in regional integrated cancer care services right across the nation. So to the team here at Port Macquarie Hospital, can I say thanks for your professionalism, thanks for your dedication, thanks for your commitment.
The work done already with this linear accelerator, I'm advised, is about 400 plus treatments in a given year. But the problem is at present, I'm advised, that 60-100 or so people are referred each year to Sydney for other services, because this one's just used flat chat. We're going to have a second one of these, which means you're going to have 800 or so such treatments possible in a given year. We need to plan for our cancer related services so that people in regional Australia get a fair deal as well.
The last thing I'd say is this. This is all part of long term planning for the health and hospitals system. Next Monday we're meeting with the Premiers and Chief Ministers in Canberra, to forge an agreement for the future of better health and better hospital services for all Australians. I would appeal again to all the Premiers and Chief Ministers to confirm that they are committed to delivering a positive deal, a positive agreement for the future of our health and hospital system for the decades ahead. Over to you Rob, you're the local Member.
OAKESHOTT: Thanks Prime Minister. And the obvious first two words are welcome back. I said in the tea room that regardless of personalities, to have the office of the Prime Minister for the first time ever, walk through the doors of this hospital, for the first time in the history of the mid-north coast and the Lyne electorate, was a significant moment. And therefore, quite logically, to have him come back is also a significant moment. We had a conversation in the oncology rooms in August last year, I think it was August 27 last year, and a one hour meeting turned into a two hour meeting.
And hopefully, what we presented looks to have played, and the Prime Minister has confirmed this in various conversations and statements in the Parliament, that the comments we asked for through the medical staff council and those that were in the meeting about getting efficiency rewarded in the system, and getting equity of funding to regional areas such as ours, growth areas, they both look to have reappeared in the structural and financial reform package that's going to be discussed on Monday. So on the broader question of is this good for our region or not, I have previously described it as a slam dunk.
Without one extra cent going into the system, a region such as ours, a growth region, benefits substantially. We finally get access to the up to $70 million a year we've been missing out on. That's been identified through the Garling report in 2007, and finally, efficient hospitals such as ours, at Wauchope, Kempsey and Port Macquarie, and Manning, all start to get rewarded for effort. That should be supported by all, I would've thought. And I am concerned that this is being framed in a context of an election year. I would hope that we could all move beyond that. In three year federal cycles, anything can be framed really as electioneering.
This is a substantial moment in time on Monday. I would hope it's not framed in a context of Kevin Rudd versus Tony Abbott, Labor versus Liberal. Here we have a moment where we can do something good for Australian health systems, for the growth regions of Australia. The population debate has come again. This is the population debate this country needs to have through an infrastructure question. It's an area like the mid-north coast that's expected to have 90,000 new people in the next 20 years. We've got to have the infrastructure to meet it.
And for any visionaries in the room, this is even a bit of a federation debate that we're having right now. This is finishing the work of 100 years ago, and turning a federation of states potentially into the Commonwealth that we all want to have. So Monday's important Prime Minister, and certainly, if you need myself, if you need state Members like Pete, and any rugby players to come along and put people in headlocks on Monday, we're happy to be your muscle at a policy level, because it is important for us.
PM: I'll get an airline ticket for you.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister-
OAKESHOTT: Hang on- because I just want to talk about the cancer funding as well. Because this also is important. And we've talked about the national, I want to talk about the local. And I mentioned this to the Prime Minister before. This is fantastic, much needed funding for our area. We still have people going away, and we would all know people who've left this area to get treatment or had treatment delayed for various reasons. A second linear accelerator will substantially improve the delivery of cancer services in our area. And Government is in partnership with community on this one. I would like to think Government is the icing on the community cake.
Because if you reflect on the last five years, where we are in a building that was only built five years ago, Rotary, the combined Rotary clubs were part of the deal that saw the accommodation facilities built next door, that was their commitment as a community. We've had the Hastings cancer trust, and I think everyone in the room has been to some sort of fundraising function. If you haven't, you should go to the next one. We've now got the Jim Bruce urology and prostrate trust, also fundraising locally. This is a community effort. We've also got the relay for life coming up.
This is a community effort that has seen this cancer service in this region really start to take its place as a centre of excellence. So I hope everyone feels a bit of ownership of this today, and gives themselves a pat on the back for the $50 or the $100 that they might have donated at some function over the last five years. So thank you for recognising that, and it does matter at a federal level where we talk about the role that local networks and local ownership can play in the delivery of healthcare. Here is a great example of where a bit of the skin in the game from communities can really help in the relationship between the delivery from Government and ultimately the delivery of healthcare generally. So thanks, Prime Minister, for coming, and look forward to you coming back next time.
PM: Thank you very much. Folks, we've got to zip off, so I appreciate everyone being here. But the team of professionals, can I just say how much I appreciate their work. I spent- as Rob reminds me- I spent a couple of hours with them last time, and learned a lot. They're a very dedicated community of health professionals here, and I congratulate them not just for their work here, but frankly, the great ideas they've given the Australian Government.
Better zip, thanks folks.