A new promise on the horizon for the Tom Price community: Does it equal a new hospital?

On Monday 9 July, Party Leader Libby Mettam announced the WA Liberal Government will commit to building the new Tom Price Hospital in the first term of government.

With no shovel to dirt or progress with the Shire since February 2021, the pressure is building for our hospital to be delivered, and the Tom Price community are sick of waiting.

President Smith welcomes this announcement; however, with the inaction over the past 3 and a half years from the Labor government, the community will only be confident of the project once a tender is issued.

“The commitment to the people and our surrounding region is a priority, and we’re waiting for any indication or movement for a new Tom Price Hospital to be built.

“While this is the latest update for our much-needed facility and we are thrilled at the thought of a new hospital, the pressure is mounting for State Government to do something and the time is now,” stated President Smith.

This announcement comes after the Labor Government’s election promise in 2021 of $12.8 million for a new Tom Price Hospital remains unfulfilled in the May 2024-25 budget announcement, where a mere $77,000 of the already committed funding, is set to be spent in 2027.

Broken Labor promises seem to be found in all regional towns with endemic health problems: with the recent announcement of the WA Government walking away from building Halls Creek renal centre before next State Election, this is a story that sounds too familiar. The WA Government originally pledged to build a dialysis centre in Halls Creek within the parliamentary term, but that timeframe has been abandoned. Like Tom Price, the $24 million dollar facility was an election promise, but it is expected the cost will have dramatically blown out and leaves their community forgotten.

The Tom Price community are sadly getting used to waiting, though we hope this news will put pressure on the original promise.