- The Crisafulli Government has invested $6.9 million to upgrade staff accommodation at Goondiwindi Hospital, supporting health professionals to work and stay in the region.
- Labor left Queensland with a 21 per cent gap in the rural and remote medical workforce after their decade of decline.
- The Crisafulli Government is healing Labor's Health Crisis and delivering health services when Queenslanders need them.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering major staff accommodation upgrades for health workers in Goondiwindi, helping attract and retain the frontline workforce regional Queenslanders rely on for health services when they need them. The $6.9 million investment is transforming four existing units into modern, fit-for-purpose accommodation for health workers relocating to the region. Two houses are already complete and fully occupied, with all remaining accommodation works on track to be finished by October 2026.
The Crisafulli Government is investing $3.2 billion to renew and maintain Queensland Health's existing buildings, facilities, plant and medical equipment after a decade of underinvestment under Labor.
The upgraded staff accommodation in Goondiwindi builds on upgraded and new accommodation delivered under the Crisafulli Government for health workers in regional and rural communities, including in Biloela, Longreach, Collinsville, Dajarra, Camooweal, Winton, Mount Isa, St George, Charleville, Charters Towers and Tara.
The investment is part of the Crisafulli Government's plan to grow, attract and retain the health workforce Queensland needs, particularly in rural and regional communities, where health workers have emphasised the importance of fit-for-purpose local accommodation. For a decade, the former Labor Government repeatedly told Queenslanders it was investing in the health workforce of the future, but the Queensland Health Workforce Gap Analysis revealed the scale of the workforce shortages Labor left behind. Labor left Queensland with a 21 per cent gap in the rural and remote medical workforce, while the rate of health workers leaving Queensland Health peaked at more than 6.5 per cent. The Crisafulli Government is rebuilding the workforce, backed by a record $35.5 billion Health Budget and a commitment to deliver an additional 46,000 health workers by 2032. More than 10,000 additional health professionals have joined the Queensland health workforce in the Government's first 20 months, including more than 350 additional health workers in the Darling Downs region alone. The Crisafulli Government is also working to retain its health workforce, keeping attrition below the former Labor Government's peak and delivering more pathways and supports for health workers choosing careers in rural and remote Queensland. This includes improved rural and remote workforce entitlements secured through enterprise bargaining agreements in 2025, as well as investing in new and upgraded staff accommodation across regional and rural Queensland. Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the Crisafulli Government was healing Labor's Health Crisis and delivering health services when Queenslanders need them. "We're making it easier for health professionals to choose regional Queensland as a place to gain clinical experience, build a career, put down roots and choose to stay," Minister Nicholls said. "By investing in what matters to health professionals, we can build a more stable workforce and improve access to health services in regional and rural communities like Goondiwindi." Member for Southern Downs James Lister said the investment would help Goondiwindi attract and retain the health workers the community relies on. "Providing modern, comfortable accommodation makes it easier for health workers to choose Goondiwindi, settle into our community and build a life and career here," Mr Lister said. "This $6.9 million investment is about backing our local health workforce so Goondiwindi families can continue to access the healthcare they need, closer to home." Darling Downs Health Chief Executive Annette Scott said quality accommodation would make a significant difference when health professionals were considering a move to a regional community. "Helping our healthcare workers feel at home in Goondiwindi is an important part of building a strong and sustainable local workforce," Ms Scott said. "We know that when healthcare workers experience life in regional communities, many choose to stay because of the connection, lifestyle and career opportunities on offer.
"Providing modern, comfortable accommodation helps our staff settle into the community and supports them to build lasting careers here in Goondiwindi."
