![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/245a9dc77424f23f4ec226ed4c0d90d56d9e73a0ff3a04ffd72ae9cb4692f3a3.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
August 4, 2026 \u2014 2:40pm<\/p>\n
Save<\/p>\n
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n
Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n West Australian Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey claims there \u201cis always capacity in the budget for health\u201d as construction officially begins on the new Mandurah Hospital site.<\/p>\n The latest announcement for the hospital is set to see the government spend a further $950 million on the site, in addition to around $150 million already committed on water and electricity infrastructure.<\/p>\n The health infrastructure spend also coincides with the pledge of $1 million allocated to a master plan for the future of the Rockingham General Hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cNever before have you seen so many hospital projects under way,\u201d Carey said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a massive construction program. A new women\u2019s and babies\u2019 hospital, the new Royal Perth Hospital build, this build, Bunbury, a number of regional projects.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have never seen this type of hospital construction in the state\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n However, asked if it was a coincidence that the dual health infrastructure announcements, in areas that flanked the Secret Harbour electorate, coincided with an upcoming byelection, Carey said the government couldn\u2019t win.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoopee doodah \u2013 we\u2019ve got to build hospitals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cCan we get real here? You can\u2019t win.<\/p>\n \u201cThe message we receive is to invest in hospital infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, by George, that\u2019s what we are doing and it is a massive program. You have never seen it before.\u201d<\/p>\n Carey said he expected the build of the Mandurah Hospital site to be completed by early 2029, and made no apologies about the \u201crecord\u201d investment.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the cost. We have an office that is very thorough in the procurement process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe go way beyond to get value for taxpayers, but I do believe that no one is going to complain because we are undertaking a record investment to build a new Mandurah Hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n WA shadow health spokeswoman Libby Mettam said the former Liberal government built nine hospitals.<\/p>\n \u201cLabor promised the Peel Health Campus redevelopment in 2020, but six years later the people of Mandurah and surrounding suburbs are still waiting for a hospital and will be waiting at least another three years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery further delay places even greater pressure on the existing hospital, its already stretched healthcare workers, and the patients who will have been left waiting nearly a decade for the modern hospital they were promised.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter almost a decade in office, Labor has not delivered a single new public hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cPeel families need a hospital, not more announcements, sod turns, delays and excuses.\u201d<\/p>\n Tree breaks silence after not making a sound in weekend media events<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Labor\u2019s candidate for the seat of Secret Harbour, Georgia Tree, has fronted journalists after the party faced criticism for not allowing her to speak at a series of recent media events.<\/p>\n Addressing the press pack at Mandurah Hospital announcement, Tree said she had answered more questions than any other candidate in the by-election.<\/p>\n Asked why she had not spoken at the announcement of funding for the Karnup train station, Tree repeated the premier\u2019s words<\/a> that a tight schedule had prevented her from addressing media.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had to get to Lark Hill because we were announcing $3 million in flood lighting, so little kids can train at night, and we had to get there for the community groups and sporting groups that were there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI then had a field rally where over 100 volunteers came out to support me and go out door knocking in Singleton that afternoon.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cSo it was a packed schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n Tree added that throughout her door-knocking campaign within the electorate, the topic of the Karnup station was a key focus for voters.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s something I\u2019ve been fighting for all the way along this campaign and feeding back community feedback to the government,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m so glad that they\u2019ve brought the announcement forward, so I can campaign on it, so voters know what they\u2019re getting when they go to the polls on the 29th of August.<\/p>\n \u201cThe main thing for me is that Karnup\u2019s getting built.\u201d<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Health](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/a7afa7b30e0f407751eaf2d87b2564365730dd00ef406839db72a8e171199f43.jpeg\")
Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey.Holly Thompson<\/p>\n![\"WA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5ff05a5161852fd472e7aa88138c6b675c641e6e932586c49221c36fff4c6f01.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n