After years of fighting, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has welcomed the announcement that Stroke sufferers will soon be able to receive immediate Stroke specific care in the Nanango electorate.
“This is a huge win for my community. It is crucial for Stroke victims to receive immediate specialist assessment and diagnosis and Telestroke will allow early diagnosis and certainly improve their chances for recovery.” Mrs Frecklington said
“Telestroke has been available to all Australian States and Territories except Queensland.
“In May 2022 I wrote to the then Health Minister Yvette D’Ath calling for Telestroke in regional Queensland and I have since followed it up with a Parliamentary Question on Notice to the Health Minister.
“I have fought this issue on the floor of Parliament on many occasions and I am glad the Health Minister has finally listened to the calls of our community.
“It is concerning the chaos and crisis of the Palaszczuk Government has taken them so long to allow this vital service.
“In particular, I would like to thank Rishana and Graham Smith for taking up the fight for Stroke sufferers and their families.
I first met Rishana and Graham in May 2022 when they formed the South Burnett Stroke Support Group and they have been very proactive in their fight for this service after Graham suffered a stroke 15 years ago.
“I’ve been fighting for better regional and rural health care since being elected, and whilst this announcement is well overdue, I look forward to the people of the South Burnett having access to Telestroke in 2024.
“There is so much work to do in ensuring our health services in the Nanango electorate are adequate for our growing population and I will keep fighting hard as the local voice for the Nanango electorate”.
The announcement by the Queensland Police Service in relation to Toogoolawah Police Station is welcome, however questions still remain about whether the current substantive police positions will remain at Toogoolawah.
The information provided to me during a direct briefing by the QPS in early July explained that the current Police positions would move to Esk, leaving the Toogoolawah Police Station without a full-time presence.
It was simply unacceptable that they were considering removing these essential positions.
They have been forced to commit to keeping the Toogoolawah Police Station open and I will continue to seek assurances that the substantive positions will also remain at Toogoolawah.
As I continue to say, our community needs an increase in Police numbers, not a decrease.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington has written to the South Burnett Regional Council highlighting concerns about the proposed Tumuruu Solar Farm at Blackbutt.
Deb says she recently met with concerned residents at Emerson Road, Blackbutt, directly adjacent to the proposed location of the solar farm, to discuss their concerns and see first-hand how the proposed development will impact their properties.
“I support the community’s concerns about this proposed development, which would be surrounded on three sides by rural residential properties. At least 44 homes would be direct neighbours and at least another 90 neighbours are in direct vicinity of the site,” Deb said.
“The South Burnett is already seeing the serious impacts and stress the Kingaroy Solar Farm is creating for its neighbours, and yet here we have another developer trying to encroach on rural communities.
“Given local residents have chosen to live in this location due to its quiet lifestyle and rural outlook, as per the zoning, it is concerning that a renewable energy facility and major electricity infrastructure such as this is being proposed for this land.
“Just some of the issues raised include concerns that the neighbours will look directly at the solar farm with setbacks only 15 metres from their boundary, property devaluation, insurance increases or inability to insure their property, fire risk, road safety and the impact on local wildlife and environment.
“Assessment of Solar farm developments are the responsibility of Local Government and on behalf of the community I have highlighted these concerns with South Burnett Regional Council,” Deb said.
Photo: Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington inspected the site in Blackbutt of the proposed Tumuruu Solar Farm.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington says it is about time more Police Officers were posted to the Kilcoy Police Station.
Deb said it was completely unacceptable that the busy station currently had been left with only two Officers stationed in the town.
“I have been contacted by members of the Kilcoy community, including the Kilcoy District Progress Alliance who are rightly concerned about the understaffing of Kilcoy Police Station,” Deb said.
“They feel strongly that the district is underserviced by Queensland Police given the level of need and the growing population.
“I have written to the Police Minister highlighting that in his own 2018 statement, the Kilcoy Police Station was built to accommodate an Officer in Charge, administration staff and four further operational officers.
“Since then, instead of an increase in staffing levels, there are now just two Police Officers at Kilcoy.
“These hard-working Officers must service a large district including the Kilcoy township, surrounding rural localities and farming areas north to Jimna, east to Villeneuve, south to Somerset Dam and further west to Moore and Linville.
“The result is overworked Officers, often working alone and working back-to-back shifts.
“I have requested an immediate consideration of an increase in Police numbers at Kilcoy to at least four officers.
“It is typical however of the Palaszczuk Labor Government whose priorities are all wrong.
“We know that frontline Police numbers are down 72 since 2020, yet the Premier’s marketing and media staff are up 98 since the last election. How can the Premier in her right mind think this is acceptable?
“Services have never been worse than under this Labor Government and it’s our regional communities that are feeling this more than ever.
“We need an increase in Police numbers, not a decrease,” Deb said.
Community concerns about the Queensland Health Crisis have been laid bare in Caboolture, with dozens of locals attending the LNP Opposition’s 33rd Queensland Health Crisis Town Hall this morning.
It's the second time Caboolture has hosted the event, after Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli and Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates met with locals at the Caboolture Showgrounds for the first time nearly two years ago.
Mr Crisafulli said the stories from Caboolture patients and their families today were deeply moving.
“It takes enormous bravery for someone to reveal their private health battles in a room full of strangers, but this demonstrates the determination of this community to help heal the Queensland Health Crisis,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Our first Town Hall in 2021 at Caboolture was the cornerstone for the Opposition to expand the format and listen to more Queenslanders in cities and towns across the State.
“It was made clear today the Health Crisis in Caboolture hasn’t improved.
“This isn’t the fault of our dedicated doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals at Caboolture Hospital.
“These dedicated men and women are doing a remarkable job but have been let down by the chaos and crisis within the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“Today we promised the people of Caboolture that we will again take their stories to the Queensland Parliament and together we will continue our fight for better resources, better triaging, sharing data in real time and putting doctors and nurses back in charge to improve patient care.”
2023 March quarterly data – Caboolture Hospital
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said the health crisis at Caboolture Hospital took another turn after the Palaszczuk Labor Government announced yet another review at the hospital.
Health Minister Fentiman has so far refused to release the terms of reference for the review.
“Patient care must always be the top priority,” Ms Bates said.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government needs to be open and transparent with the people of Caboolture about the true state of their hospital.
“Health Minister Shannon Fentiman is attempting to avoid accountability.
“Instead of being open and transparent with Queenslanders, she is refusing to release monthly ambulance ramping data.
“When she became Health Minister, she promised she would do things differently.
“Instead of swanning around Queensland on a government jet with her photographer, she must listen to these Queenslanders and urgently address the issues that have plagued Caboolture Hospital.
“We want to thank the locals who attended our Health Crisis Town Hall today.
“We will keep fighting.
“After three terms, eight years and four Health Ministers, the Palaszczuk Labor Government has stopped listening to Queenslanders.
“Caboolture and Queenslanders deserve better.”
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington says upgrades at the intersection of Buaraba Creek Road and Gatton-Esk Road must be made a priority.
Deb recently met with members of the Buaraba community, in the southern Somerset region, to see first-hand how dangerous the intersection has become.
“I would like to thank Helen Lyons and the residents of Buaraba for taking the time to meet with me and explain the dangers being faced by road users at this location,” Deb said.
“This section of road is currently 100km/hr and it is also a busy school bus stop.
“There is no doubt that there is increased levels of traffic on the Gatton-Esk Road and with the intersection’s proximity to Fred From Bridge, and with no turning lanes, there are serious problems with road safety.
“I fully support the community’s calls for upgrades at the intersection and am pleased to sponsor a petition to the Labor Government calling for:
a) A road safety audit of the intersection and the alignment of Fred From Bridge
b) Consideration of a speed reduction to 80km/hr at this location; and
c) Planning and funding for the installation of turning lanes for vehicles travelling in both directions.
“The petition will be available in both hard copy format and online and I would encourage anyone who uses this road to show their support,” Deb said.
Photo: Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington Buaraba residents at the intersection of Buaraba Creek Road and Gatton-Esk Road.
Under sustained pressure Health Minister Fentiman has announced a review at Caboolture Hospital… again.
This is exact same playbook used by her hopeless predecessor Yvette D’Ath less than two years ago.
Today, Shannon Fentiman must:
Shannon ‘photo-op’ Fentiman claimed she’d be different but all Queenslanders are getting is the same chaos and crisis of the Palaszcuzk Labor Government.
On Thursday the LNP will host a Queensland Health Crisis Townhall in Caboolture where health victims and health workers will be given their opportunity to tell their stories.
The LNP Opposition is committed to working with the community and health workers to heal the Queensland Health Crisis because Queenslanders deserve a world-class health system no matter where they live.
Queenslanders deserve better than the chaos and crisis of ‘photo-op’ Fentiman and the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
