General News

2 May, 2025

Finally, Dutton drops by

COALITION leader Peter Dutton made his first visit to the Far North during the federal election campaign last Saturday with announcements about healthcare, infrastructure and developing regional skills and training.

By Nick Dalton

Coalition leader Peter Dutton in Cairns (centre) with (from left) Cr Brett Moller, the LNP’s Leichhardt candidate Jeremy Neal and Cairns Mayor Amy Eden. Picture: Facebook
Coalition leader Peter Dutton in Cairns (centre) with (from left) Cr Brett Moller, the LNP’s Leichhardt candidate Jeremy Neal and Cairns Mayor Amy Eden. Picture: Facebook

The Coalition announced it would increase the training of local GPs for the Cairns community by delivering 25 new medical Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) for James Cook University (JCU) at its Cairns campus.

Mr Dutton said it would ensure “we train locally the next generation of GPs and address chronic health workforce shortages in Far North Queensland”.

“This is part of our commitment to increase the total number of medical CSPs across Australia by 350 over the next four years,” he said.

As part of the Coalition’s commitment to healthcare in Cairns, the LNP will also invest more than $6 million to upgrade the local headspace so more Cairns youth are able to access support when they need it.

“We will also invest $33.8m into infrastructure upgrades to support Cairns Regional Council’s development of the Mount Peter southern growth corridor, an area which is projected to have an extra 42,500 people in the near future,” Mr Dutton said.

“This commitment includes over $27m for the Cooper Road upgrade and over $6.7m for the Greypeaks Drive extension. It will be delivered in partnership with the Cairns Regional Council.”

Mr Dutton said a Coalition government would establish a new Australian Technical College in Cairns by committing up to $19m to Tec-NQ to expand its footprint to build a new school.

He said Australian technical colleges would ensure young people in Cairns and surrounding regions had the opportunity to get a head start on in-demand skills.

LNP candidate for Leichhardt Jeremy Neal said Peter Dutton and the LNP team had heard the concerns of Far North Queenslanders. “Unlike Labor, we will act on these concerns and ensure a better future for the region,” he said.

LNP candidate for Kennedy Annette Swaine said the project was one of the Cairns Regional Council, and the community’s, priorities. “This investment will ensure that FNQ has the quality roads and infrastructure that it needs to get ahead and support future housing development,” she said.

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