Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was on the northwest coast of Tasmania on Wednesday, meeting with local communities and spotlighting initiatives aimed at supporting families, health services, and regional economies.
Speaking with ABC Northern Tasmania, Albanese highlighted the opening of a temporary child care centre in Latrobe, which will operate until a permanent facility opens in July.
“What we’re doing is making sure that child care is more affordable and accessible,” Albanese said, emphasising the government’s $1 billion investment in new child care infrastructure across the state.
Families have already saved an average of $9,000 over the past three years thanks to cheaper child care policies, he noted.
The Prime Minister also addressed the newly opened Burnie Urgent Care Clinic, part of a national network now serving more than two million patients.
“If people have something that requires immediate attention but isn’t life threatening, instead of waiting at the emergency department, they can get care when they need it with just their Medicare card.”
Albanese praised the contributions of Tasmanian parliamentarians Anne Urquhart and Jess Teesdale in advocating for local projects, including child care centres and hospital funding.
He reiterated that under the recent health and hospital deal with the state, Tasmania is set to receive an additional $700 million in hospital funding over five years.
Amid discussions on child care and health, the conversation turned to regional economic highlights, including the Foo Fighters’ record-breaking weekend in Launceston, which injected an estimated $7 million into the local economy.
“Events like this can make an enormous difference,” the Prime Minister said, adding that regional cities are serious economic players.
Earlier on Hit 100.9 Hobart, Albanese spoke about cost-of-living support, Free TAFE enrolments, and practical measures like Paid Prac for nursing students, helping them earn while studying. He also reflected on the social media ban rolled out across ten major platforms, citing early signs of improved wellbeing and educational outcomes among young Australians.
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