State Government allocates $7.5m to set up RFDS base in Geraldton, delivering on State election promise

The Cook Government has included its $7.5 million State election promise to set up a Royal Flying Doctor Service base in Geraldton in its mid-year budget review. In its mid-year financial outlook released late last week there was mention of $7.5m to expand and relocate RFDS’s Mid West operations from Meekatharra to Geraldton. This was a change from June’s State Budget, when no funding was allocated for the project. The RFDS promise was part of a wider $30m health commitment that Labor made to Geraldton and the Mid West during the State election campaign, which also included $21m for a radiation oncology unit and $2m to expand the Geraldton renal dialysis unit. The mid-year budget review states $1.5m has been allocated to refurbish Geraldton Health Campus’ renal dialysis unit and increase the number of renal dialysis chairs from nine to 14. It also mentions an extra $28.4m has been invested over 2025-26 and 2026-27 to deliver Geraldton’s radiation oncology unit, bringing the total cost of the joint State-Federal funded project to $38.4m. Mullewa Community Hospital redevelopment has also received a commitment of an extra $18.8m in 2025-26 and 2026-27, bringing the total cost of the project to $25.1m. It had previously been priced at $19.6m. Geraldton MLA Kirrilee Warr described the mid-year budget review as “disappointing”, with the majority of announcements a “simple rehashing (of) what has already been said”. The Mullewa hospital and RFDS Geraldton base were projects not previously accounted for in June’s State Budget, but Ms Warr said they came about as a result of pressure from the Opposition. “The Mullewa Hospital redevelopment is long overdue and six months on the budget appears to be spiralling out of control despite no changes to the original plan,” she said. “A local RFDS base will help thousands across WA, and has been delivered thanks to advocacy from The Nationals WA, but the organisation isn’t getting the full amount to build their facility, which is disappointing.” Ms Warr said the State Government refused to budge on other critical issues for the region, including repairs to Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road, funding a Mid West rescue helicopter and investing in power transmission to boost reliability.