Latest news with #JohnCarey
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WeBuild acquries WA women and babies hospital contract
The Government of Western Australia (WA) has selected WeBuild as the managing contractor for the A$1.8bn ($1.1bn) New Women and Babies Hospital Project. This hospital will replace the King Edward Memorial Hospital, providing enhanced services for women, newborns, and families across the state. The facility will offer comprehensive care, with inpatient services for gynaecology and maternity, a neonatology unit, operating theatres, a family birthing centre, and outpatient clinics. Its location within the Fiona Stanley Hospital precinct is said to improve access for regional patients, facilitated by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The construction phase of the project is set to generate over 1,400 jobs. The WA Government is also working on doubling maternity services at Osborne Park Hospital and expanding its gynaecology and neonatology departments. The body will also focus on the commissioning and final fit-out of the new hospital, along with the integration of ICT systems and medical equipment. Construction is anticipated to commence later this year, starting with a new multi-deck car park. Georgiou Group secured the contract for this initial phase in January 2025, which will add approximately 2,500 car bays to the precinct. Meanwhile, temporary off-site parking is being arranged to accommodate hospital precinct workers during this phase. WA Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey said: "Today's signing signifies a major step forward which will deliver a brand-new public hospital at the Fiona Stanley Hospital precinct and state-of-the-art health infrastructure. "The New Women and Babies Hospital Project is continuing to progress to schedule, and crucially, we now have a top-tier managing contractor with a breadth of global experience officially on board." Furthermore, the Cook Government will begin consultations with local authorities and key stakeholders next month to improve the transport network around the precinct. The upcoming state budget will allocate A$22m for road upgrades and A$5m to plan future enhancements for Murdoch Train Station. The hospital's construction is set for completion by 2029. "WeBuild acquries WA women and babies hospital contract" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
ABC News
6 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Experts call for nuanced approach to tackle complex social housing issues in WA
Social housing has been thrust into the spotlight after a spate of antisocial and violent incidents at a complex in the Perth suburb of Inglewood, but there is one statement which helps put the entire situation into perspective. "Anyone can be that short gap from a relationship break-up, a cancer diagnosis or a job loss when, in one circumstance their lives are comfortable and they have a home, and in the next they need social housing," Housing Minister John Carey told parliament on Wednesday. "Our social housing system caters to a large number of people with different vulnerabilities, such as women fleeing from domestic violence. "We have the elderly who have retired and desperately need a home. "We have people with disabilities who have no other option and we obviously have people with mental health issues. "These people need housing." That's the fundamental problem of public housing — it has to cater to everyone who needs it. Only in limited circumstances can someone be turned away. It means issues like those reported at a social housing complex in Inglewood — which nearby residents say they've been trying to get addressed for nearly six months — are to be expected to some extent. But a well-functioning system should be able to deal with them well before they reach crisis point. Police generally only get involved after something serious has happened meaning, in all likelihood, opportunities to avert the crisis earlier had been missed. And while law and order responses or evictions might be the first port of call for some, those on the frontline say a more nuanced response, which is better in the long-term, is needed. The director of Centrecare, Tony Pietropiccolo, who has worked in social services for more than 40 years, says providing people with meaningful support was essential — both when issues arise and before, to avoid situations escalating to the point of eviction. The director of UWA's Centre for Social Impact, Paul Flatau, said that support can come in many forms. "It may require a different kind of housing arrangement, for example," he said. "It often has structural root causes in terms of high rates of poverty and the like. "And that's where we see that drug and alcohol issues are a significant health problem that needs to be addressed through very significant health responses." The other part of the puzzle, Mr Pietropiccolo said, was having enough housing. While in the past governments might have struggled with either support or housing, he said the current government was up against it on both fronts. Many in the public housing sector have called out years of underinvestment in the construction of social housing, which meant those problems worsened when housing market pressures escalated rapidly during COVID. "It's exactly the same problem that happens with support systems," Mr Pietropiccolo said. "If you create situations where they're not adequate enough or they're not implemented quickly enough and sustained over time, then you are likely to develop significant issues within your social housing systems." The government is making some progress on construction, last week announcing the addition of 3,000 social homes to the system since 2021. But with 22,066 applications on the waitlist and 7,125 identified as priority cases as of the end of April, those problems are far from resolved. More homes in the system could help people get a roof over their heads before mental health or drug abuse issues linked to rough sleeping escalate, and allow more opportunities for people to be moved to other properties if they have an issue with their current neighbour. According to Professor Flatau, at the other end of the spectrum, there are some tenants who are ready to move back into work, or get a higher paying job, but risk falling into "the poverty trap". "When they do engage in the labour market … they have their income support payments reduced and their rental subsidy reduced, and they may face the prospect of losing their public housing tenancy," he said. "But it my be the case that their labour market engagement is not secure or permanent going forward." In the current market, social services have reported cases of people earning too much to qualify for social support or housing but don't have enough to afford the private market. Removing the poverty trap could help both free up more social housing properties for those lingering on the waitlist and increase productivity to benefit the whole economy. Fundamentally, the government needs to clarify what kind of social housing system Western Australia should, and can realistically have, for all tenants. To put it very simply, should it be one which simply catches people when they fall, then leaves them to find their own way out? Or should it be one where every support is provided to help people overcome the reasons they've fallen into that social safety net in the hopes of moving them into the private market. The Department of Communities said it was the latter for the vast majority of those in the state's roughly 40,000 social housing properties. "Tenants are linked with support services to assist them in addressing problems including rental arrears, housing conditions, cleanliness, and anti-social behaviour," it said in a statement. "Additionally, [the] Thrive tenancy support program is a program that supports tenants with tenancy concerns to navigate and access support services and programs. "Communities works with a range of services and supports including mental health services, community legal centres, Aboriginal medical services, disability support providers, and domestic violence support services to support tenants." While that might be a good start, social services say a lot more needs to be done to deliver those supports to the level many complex tenants need. And even though that might not eliminate cases like Inglewood altogether, it should mean everyone involved gets the outcome they want much more quickly.
West Australian
6 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Work starts on 120-lot Yilkari Industrial Estate on Kalgoorlie-Boulder's western edge
Work has started at the Yilkari Industrial Estate on Kalgoorlie-Boulder's western edge, with the first 13 lots of the 138ha development to go on pre-sale next month. The State Government last week said contractor Ertech has started stage one of DevelopmentWA's latest industrial estate in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. When announced in January, the government said the contract with Ertech was worth more than $30 million. The government said the estate on the corner of Great Eastern Highway and Anzac Drive, opposite Anzac Drive Industrial Park, would ultimately have 120 general industrial lots. It said stage one lots would range in size from 2500sqm to 1.8ha, which were expected to attract strong interest from both WA-based and interstate businesses. The government said the 13 lots to be made available by pre-sale next month would be serviced with power, water, NBN, and have direct access to the RAV10 heavy vehicle road network. It said titles are anticipated in July next year. The government said the development was forecast to attract about $200m in private investment and create 700 construction jobs during the next decade. It said once fully operational, the development would deliver 850 new permanent jobs and a $300m annual boost to the local economy. Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said the development of Yilkari Industrial Park would lead to industry diversification and growth for Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the wider Goldfields region. ''These general industrial lots are expected to support the growth in a variety of industries, including mining support services, transport/logistics, fabrication, and manufacturing,' he said. Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent said Yilkari would provide a long-term asset to the resources sector but also more opportunities for other industries to get established. 'This high-quality industrial estate will play a crucial role in strengthening the city's long term economy quality development,' she said.
The Age
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Residents in ‘most policed area of Perth' enraged by minister's response
Enraged Inglewood residents near a trouble-plagued public housing complex have warned anti-social behaviour could escalate unless the West Australian government steps up efforts to clamp down on the issue. Housing Minister John Carey was grilled about the Ninth Avenue complex during question time in parliament on Wednesday as residents watched on and at times heckled from the public gallery. The 24-unit complex was bought by the WA government last year for public housing, but anti-social behaviour has become so bad that Police Minister Reece Whitby said it was now one of the most policed areas of Perth. Speaking outside parliament after question time, Inglewood resident Melissa Molinari detailed some of the behaviour allegedly witnessed over the past five months, which included a jogger being chased with a butcher's knife; children being abused by tenants; bottles thrown at passers-by; and an Uber driver being bashed and having his car stolen. Molinari said the government's response to date was not good enough, and the issues were escalating. 'It is distressing to see families and parents of families here right now whose children have been attacked on our streets, and [the minister] stands there and does nothing. It's disgusting,' she said. 'How many more people need to be attacked on the streets of Inglewood? How many more people have bottles thrown at them, chased with knives, before this government and this minister actually does something about it and hears our voices? 'What's going to happen when someone is killed on the streets of Inglewood? What then?' Molinari said the Inglewood community was not against social housing, and many tenants in the complex were doing the right thing and were also victims of the small number of bad eggs.
Sydney Morning Herald
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Residents in ‘most policed area of Perth' enraged by minister's response
Enraged Inglewood residents near a trouble-plagued public housing complex have warned anti-social behaviour could escalate unless the West Australian government steps up efforts to clamp down on the issue. Housing Minister John Carey was grilled about the Ninth Avenue complex during question time in parliament on Wednesday as residents watched on and at times heckled from the public gallery. The 24-unit complex was bought by the WA government last year for public housing, but anti-social behaviour has become so bad that Police Minister Reece Whitby said it was now one of the most policed areas of Perth. Speaking outside parliament after question time, Inglewood resident Melissa Molinari detailed some of the behaviour allegedly witnessed over the past five months, which included a jogger being chased with a butcher's knife; children being abused by tenants; bottles thrown at passers-by; and an Uber driver being bashed and having his car stolen. Molinari said the government's response to date was not good enough, and the issues were escalating. 'It is distressing to see families and parents of families here right now whose children have been attacked on our streets, and [the minister] stands there and does nothing. It's disgusting,' she said. 'How many more people need to be attacked on the streets of Inglewood? How many more people have bottles thrown at them, chased with knives, before this government and this minister actually does something about it and hears our voices? 'What's going to happen when someone is killed on the streets of Inglewood? What then?' Molinari said the Inglewood community was not against social housing, and many tenants in the complex were doing the right thing and were also victims of the small number of bad eggs.
