By Dongyun Kwon
Federal election candidates for Casey spoke to Star Mail about their promise for Healthcare, focusing on an urgent care clinic (UCC) in Yarra Ranges.
All candidates promised to support the idea of delivering health service across Yarra Ranges in some form or another.
The Labor Government, last month, announced an election promise to open 50 urgent care clinics across Australia including 12 in Victoria by mid-2026.
UCCs provide GP-led care to people who need urgent care but not an emergency response, which includes treatment for mild infections, burns, suspected fractures, and sprains.
They also provide pathology and imaging services that may be onsite or located nearby.
Despite Lilydale being on the government’s potential target areas, Labor candidate for Casey, Naomi Oakley said only a re-elected Labor Government will deliver a UCC to this region, suggesting Healesville as the chosen area.
“UCCs were developed by Labor to provide easy access 24 hours a day bulk billed medical attention,” she said.
“Since being elected, we already have 87 UCCs, and announced we will open another 50 clinics if we are re-elected. Importantly, these 50 additional clinics, including one in Casey are funded in Labor’s budget.
“Healesville has an appropriate location with connected services and has a huge need, Healesville will be the location chosen.”
The Labor candidate criticised the Liberal Party for weakening Medicare and bulk billing, saying the Liberal candidate Aaron Violi is making a promise he can’t deliver.
“They tried to end bulk billing and Medicare by making patients pay a tax every time to see a GP, cut $50 billion from public hospitals, and stripped billions from Medicare with a six-year freeze on rebates,” Ms Oakley said.
“Desperate Aaron Violi has incredibly adopted a Labor commitment of a UCC for Casey and attempted to make it his policy with a promise of a UCC in Healesville if the Libs are elected. If a Liberal Government was elected, they would cut spending, including sacking 41,000 public servants. There has been no commitment from Dutton to the 50 additional UCCs.
“Aaron Violi’s promise of a UCC, like his promises to deliver $15 million in grants to local sporting clubs will not be delivered by a Dutton Government. They will slash government spending as they attempt to find the 600 billion they need for their disastrous Nuclear Reactor policy.
“Additionally, when a UCC is funded for an area, it goes out to independent tender to those interested in operating the clinic. It is independent and ultimately the winning tender will determine the exact location. Again. Aaron can’t make promises unless he believes he can somehow fix the tender process.”
Liberal candidate Aaron Violi, who is currently holding the seat of Casey, invited shadow health and aged care minister Anne Ruston and Yarra Ranges mayor Jim Child to discuss the issue.
The three politicians had a meeting outside the Healesville Hospital on Wednesday 9 April.
Mr Violi and Senator Ruston confirmed that an elected Liberal Government will deliver a new UCC in Healesville to improve access to healthcare for the wider Yarra Ranges community.
Senator Ruston said after working closely with Mr Violi, the Liberal Party decided to support the idea of having a UCC in Healesville.
“We’ve listened to the local community, and we’ve heard through Aaron that the local community here in this area have said that (Healesville) is where they think is the best place to be able to deliver the maximum amount of opportunity and benefit to the community, so we are happy to support the community in their assessment of where the best place is,” she said.
“It’s been quite clear, from what Mr Viloi has been saying to us, is that this community, as many areas around Healesville, have got to go all the way into Maroondah (Hospital) if they need any care, whether that be out of hours care or subacute care, so that’s urgent primary care.
“What we want to do is to provide this community and the people who live around this community with the opportunity to be able to get access to subacute, urgent primary care, to make sure that we’re taking pressure off the Maroondah Hospital because we know that so many people are ending up going all the way into Maroondah for things that could be actually addressed in their community if those services were open.”
Mr Violi said the electorate of Casey spans almost 2700 square kilometres but doesn’t have a single emergency department within its boundaries.
“I’ve been advocating for a Medicare UCC in the Yarra Ranges, because residents in our community need and deserve access to healthcare that is close to home and doesn’t break the bank,” he said.
“I’m fighting to deliver this new clinic in Healesville to improve access to healthcare for everyone in Casey, including those living in the rural areas, whether it’s Healesville, Yarra Junction and the Upper Yarra, Yarra Glen, Dixons Creek and surrounding areas. Everyone needs and deserves access to timely and affordable healthcare, regardless of postcode.
“Despite any claims by the Labor candidate for Casey, it is clear that the Albanese Labor Government intends to locate an Urgent Care Clinic in Lilydale, not Healesville, as announced by Minister for Health Mark Butler in his statement.
“It is disappointing that Labor doesn’t understand the needs of our community – particularly the challenges faced by those living in more rural areas and the need for better access to healthcare in Healesville.”
Greens candidate Dr Merra Blair promised a better healthcare system in Casey which aligns with a key part of the Greens’ plan.
Like Labor and Liberal candidates, Dr Blair also advocates for a UCC to be located in Healesville.
Dr Blair said both Liberal and Labor have failed to provide the healthcare Australians need, leaving all Australians to face increasing healthcare costs and long wait times.
“As part of Greens’ plan, if I am elected in Casey, I will advocate for a UCC in the Yarra Valley, at Healesville Hospital and/or Yarra Valley Health. It will be important to assess the area for the best location – or locations – to ensure access to high-quality urgent care is available to everyone in the community,” she said.
“The needs of the community also need to be better understood, to make sure a UCC will be enough to fill the current healthcare gap. The current plan of the Labor Government to place an UCC in Lilydale demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of the needs of the residents of Casey. People living in Lilydale have better access to existing services than those in and around Healesville and Warburton. To continue to ignore the communities that live further out of the suburbs of Melbourne is putting lives at risk.
“I have heard from many residents who have had to drive loved ones from Healesville to Ringwood for emergency treatment, and one resident who waited more than an hour for assistance with an injured motorcyclist after a life-threatening accident. To complement an urgent care clinic, additional or improved healthcare services – such as telehealth, mental health, or general health – may also be needed.”
The Greens candidate also promised she would work alongside her Greens colleagues to properly fund public hospitals and clear waiting lists.
“We will invest $30 billion in our public hospitals over the next decade and ease pressure on the public hospital system to improve the quality of care,” she said.
“We plan to do this by legislating 50/50 funding between the federal government and states/territories and removing the 6.5 per cent funding cap.
“The Greens also plan to clear public hospital surgery waiting lists and ensure timely care for those in urgent need by investing $875 million to provide the necessary resources for faster access to essential healthcare. We want to prioritise our health services, bring dental and mental health into Medicare, and make sure everyone can see the GP for free.”
Independent candidate Claire Ferres Miles is also in the same line with other candidates in terms of the need for proper healthcare including the return of emergency care to the Yara Valley.
Ms Miles said it is a failure of both major parties that the Casey electorate of 2624 square kilometres has no emergency care.
“Healesville Hospital does not have an emergency department on-site and the Warburton Hospital closed its doors on 14 March 2001. Both Maroondah and Angliss Hospitals are outside the electorate,” she said.
“For people that live in the Yarra Valley and Upper Yarra when you call 000 for an ambulance, they recommend you get in your own car to drive to Maroondah Hospital as it will be faster than waiting for an ambulance, or the Flying Doctor will turn up to pick you up. This is unacceptable. No one should have to wait or travel far in an emergency.
“As a Community Independent, I have been campaigning for six months for the return of emergency care to the Yarra Valley. It is fantastic to see the impact an Independent can achieve before I am elected with both major parties now committing to a UCC in Casey. Casey has been represented by the Liberal Party for 41 years and during these decades has delivered no investment in health care in the Yarra Valley.”
While all candidates have pledged to improve healthcare in the Yarra Valley and Casey area, independent candidate Ms Miles said she’ll take a different approach to delivering on that promise as the UCCs are an expensive model of care.
“I congratulate both Labor and Liberal for their commitment to healthcare in the Yarra Valley, but the rollout of Urgent Care Clinics has faced challenges, with fewer than half of the promised clinics opened, along with ongoing workforce and communication issues,” she said.
“I have heard from Casey residents that people are struggling to manage cost-of-living pressures, compromising their personal health care – delaying essential medical appointments, rationing medications, and postponing dental care. Local healthcare workers have noticed an increasing trend of patients struggling to maintain prescribed treatments, raising serious concerns about long-term health outcomes.
“I support a return of emergency care to the Yarra Valley with funding to invest in and expand our current healthcare system. I am committed to achieving the highest value outcome of public money for residents in the Yarra Valley with a community-led service designed with local GPs and community health services, taking account of and understanding the opportunities and issues with our current health facilities in the Valley (Healesville Hospital and Yarra Valley Health, Warburton Hospital, Oonah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, EACH and Inspiro). With delivery of the Warburton Mountain Bike project in Warburton, Warby locals have raised with me the opportunity to provide emergency care at Warburton Hospital for locals and mountain bike riders. Success is achieving a community-led service which delivers emergency care to residents in both Healesville and Warburton.”
Ms Miles supports:
a meaningful increase in funding for health prevention programs,
a meaningful increase in funding to train, attract and retain more healthcare professionals in rural communities like Casey,
strengthened and expanded Medicare to include dental and mental health. I support a meaningful increase in funding to increase access to bulk-billing, making GP visits more affordable,
increased engagement with local GPs with a focus on local coordinated patient-led care,
and expanded subsidies through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to make more prescription medicines cheaper.
Family First candidate Dan Nebauer said he agrees that Healesville Hospital would be a logical place to establish a UCC given it is the largest centre in the Yarra Valley.
“These are my own thoughts, and if it is not the current Family First policy, I would certainly argue for it,” he said.
Animal Justice candidate Chloe Bond is aware of the need for a UCC in the Yarra Valley and said she plans to advocate for having two clinics in both a long-term and short-term capacity.
After she attended a candidate’s forum in Warburton on 8 April where she discussed the matter with the local community, she found out the community would prefer the UCC spot to be Healesville, not the currently intended spot Lilydale.
The Animal Justice candidate said although living in rural or semi-rural areas requires some sacrifices, which most are happy to make for the benefits, basic needs such as adequate healthcare should not be sacrificed.
“I have a young daughter with asthma and on two occasions while living in the Yarra Valley, we have had to make urgent trips to Maroondah Hospital,” she said.
“One of these trips was at 3am when we were able to make it to the hospital and have her receive the urgent treatment she needed in time, but this was because there was no traffic. The second time she was in an ambulance, which was switched at Mount Evelyn to a specialist team of paramedics who were able to sustain her until we arrived at Maroondah Hospital. In both instances, if we were in normal traffic conditions travelling from where we live in the Valley to Lilydale, she may not have made it.
“I, therefore, would advocate for Healesville to be the location of a UCC. Healesville Hospital is currently in a position to allow this service to immediately go ahead. However, I would also advocate for a second UCC in Warburton. I understand that the Warburton Hospital is not in a position to host this service immediately, hence why this would be a long-term project.”
