A Sustainable, Equitable Healthcare Future for Regional Australia
Our family has always valued health. It is at the core of who we are— not just our professions but our way of life. As a social worker and with my husband, Dr. Miles Brodie, who has worked as an Intensive Care Consultant and is now an anaesthetist, we have seen firsthand the profound impact healthcare has on our community.
Investing in health is one of the best things we can do as a society— for today and future generations. When we care for the health of those around us, we help people live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives, creating a stronger, more resilient community. This passion for health runs in our family—my eldest daughter, now in her final year of medical school, shares our commitment to improving the well-being of others and wants to stay in Toowoomba. Together, we’re dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of those in our community.
I have lived in regional Australia for over 30 years and worked in the healthcare sector for much of that time; I know the challenges our communities face when accessing the care they need. I’ve experienced it personally. I had to take my daughter to Brisbane for specialist care. If that can happen to us, it’s no wonder many Australians in regional, rural, and remote areas struggle to get the healthcare they deserve.
That’s why I’m passionate about ensuring no one is left behind—no matter where they live. We must address the $6.5 billion healthcare funding not reaching these communities. It’s a clear call for targeted investment to improve access to services, grow our healthcare workforce, and strengthen the infrastructure that supports regional healthcare delivery.
For me, this is more than just policy. It’s personal. Every Australian deserves high-quality, affordable healthcare, and I am committed to making that a reality for all, no matter how far from a city they live.
Investing in Health: A Path to a Stronger Community
Investing in our health is one of the best things we can do—for today and future generations. When we care for the health of those around us, we help people live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives, creating a stronger, more resilient Groom community.
A healthy Groom community is better for our economy.
I will fight to see health as an investment rather than a cost.
The rising cost of poor healthcare is significant and impacts our Groom community, placing much pressure on families. This has devastating impacts on our entire community.
We need to treat health issues like diabetes early.
People need to be able to see their GPs earlier. If you are forced to delay going to the doctor or hospital, it will cost more in hospital bills and put extra stresses on our crumbling hospital system.
Enough is enough. I am fighting for the fit-for-purpose tertiary hospital we deserve.
Investing in Primary Healthcare & Private Models of Care
Let’s get one thing straight: we need to provide health care quickly, when people need it and close to home.
I am committed to collaborating with the State Government to reduce elective surgery lists, particularly for regional Queensland.
I am fighting for private out-of-hospital care for surgeries, like knee and hip replacements. This will help free up our public hospital beds and give patients timely access to the care they need, when they need it and close to home.
Our private system in Toowoomba is struggling to stay afloat. Therefore, it is vital that the public and private sectors collaborate to provide the best health care our region deserves. Our region is lucky to have two private hospitals and several day surgeries. However, surgeries like knee and hip replacements are among the biggest drains on our healthcare system. This collaboration is essential when it comes to addressing the increasing burden of chronic diseases in Australia and managing surgeries that are placing significant pressure on our hospitals.
Support for Equal Funding: A 50/50 Partnership Between States and Federal Government
It is not good enough that regional areas, like Groom, are continually underfunded. Since 2022, I have advocated for an equal partnership between the State and Federal governments. Regional Australia deserves its fair share of funding. It should not be just for major urban centres.
Fighting for Groom to Be Designated a Tertiary Hospital
Let’s be brutally honest; our region deserves a single-site Tertiary Hospital. Successive governments have duped us by failing to invest in health care in our region. Our community is tired of band-aid solutions. Let’s get this right now.
Groom has some of the top medical and nursing specialists, allied health professionals, educators, and researchers in the nation working in our hospital. Let’s invest and build them a home that our growing community can be proud of, a legacy.
I will fight to deliver a hospital that can handle complex cases here, so people don’t have to travel to Brisbane. We need a Hospital that can grow our own medical workforce.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the population of our Toowoomba region has dramatically risen—nearly 300,000 people now call this area home. But despite our growth and the vast distances we cover, stretching across more than 400,000 km2 of southern Queensland, we’re still left with a healthcare system that doesn’t match our needs.
Shared Health, Research and Education Campus (SHREC)
Healthcare is one of our most vital and fastest-growing sectors, and it must play a key role in shaping the future of the Groom region. Our community warrants recognition as a hub of health excellence, not only in just health care but also for education and training.
It is deeply disappointing that Groom recently missed out on funding for the Shared Health, Research, and Education Campus (SHREC). But I’m not giving up on this—I'll continue to fight for SHREC because I know it will transform our region.
A SHREC would see the Toowoomba Region as a competitive destination for university students, healthcare professionals, and the broader community. It’s more than just a building—it’s an opportunity to attract young people, diversify our economy, and strengthen our local workforce. This is key to building on Toowoomba’s reputation as a thriving regional city.
Growing Our Regional Healthcare Workforce
I’m committed to growing the healthcare workforce where it’s needed most—right here in Groom.
Investing in the Rural Generalist Pathway
I strongly believe in formally recognising Rural Generalist Medicine and ensuring our regional communities access essential healthcare. That means investing more in the Rural Generalist Pathway, creating more positions, and supporting training for future healthcare workers in Groom.
I will fight to protect and improve women’s health services in rural communities and work hard to address the closures of maternity services in regional areas.
Making Healthcare More Accessible
Specialised healthcare is difficult to access in the bush. That’s why I’ll advocate for changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) to make essential services more affordable and accessible for everyone.
Keeping Regional Health Workers Where They're Needed
If we can train healthcare workers in Groom, they will stay. So, we must support them with the proper infrastructure, like affordable housing. That’s how we build long-term healthcare solutions.
Strengthening General Practice and Primary Healthcare
No matter where they live, everyone deserves access to affordable general practice. I’ll fight for more investment in general practice, prevention, and health promotion to reduce pressure on our hospitals and emergency departments.
General practitioners (GPs) like my mates Dr Rob Heffernan and Dr Roy Nichols are the backbone of our healthcare system. We need to support them by giving them more consultation time, allowing them to manage complex care, and ensuring bulk billing is available to those who need it most.
I’m also advocating changes to the GP workforce and bulk billing system so that more people can afford to see their doctors. If we want kids from regional areas to become doctors (like my daughter), we need to make it easier for them to enter the profession and support them throughout their training.
Help for Regional Healthcare Workers with HELP Debt
I’m fighting to ensure Toowoomba is recognised as an outer regional area, giving us fairer access to healthcare funding and workforce incentives. One of the key things I’m working on is advocating for changes to the Modified Monash Model (MMM), which impacts healthcare resources and funding allocation in our region.
Addressing Placement Challenges for Future Healthcare Workers
I know how hard it is for students from regional areas to get their placements, especially when costs are so high. As a social work student myself, I had to drive to Brisbane every weekend just to cover my expenses during a 3-month placement. It's time we made the system fairer for students from the bush.
I’m excited that a means-tested payment for nursing and social work students will start in July 2025. But I won’t stop there. I’ll keep pushing to extend this support to students in medicine and allied health, including physiotherapy and paramedic students so they can complete their placements without facing financial hardship.
Investing in Regional Healthcare Education
I’ll fight for better investment in regional centres so students can complete their placements locally, strengthening our healthcare system and supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals.
What I’ve Achieved
• I have unveiled a bold vision for investment in the future of our region’s health care and workforce.
• Repeatedly raised the need for adequate funding for our Hospital with the Premier, the Hon David Crisafulli and Treasurer, the Hon David Janetzki.
• Requested meeting with Minister for Health – February 2023
• Phone call to Minister Butler’s office – August 2024
• Met with the Minister for Health’s Senior Policy Officer and Minister for Education’s Senior Policy Officer to address worker shortages with Dr Rob Heffernan, local GP – September 2024
• Assembled local stakeholders to discuss the need to protect our private health sector – January 2025
• Met with Southern Queensland Rural Health – 2024 and February 2025
• Met with Professor Karen Nelson, A/Vice-Chancellor, Shawn Walker, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) and Rouz Fard, associate Director (Industry and Community Engagement) University of Southern Queensland – February 2025