15.06.2022Meet the Minister, Mr Martin Foley MP

The Committee was pleased to welcome Martin Foley MP, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services to speak to its members, at Herbert Smith Freehills’ offices on 2 June.

With the Health, Ambulance Services and Equality portfolios, Minister Foley has played a crucial role in the government’s response to COVID-19 and is working to deliver a world-class health system.

The Victorian Government Budget 2022-23 in early May, Putting Patients First, is focused on improving Victoria’s healthcare system. With record growth in demand for health services, Victoria’s health system will receive a $12 billion boost as part of the Pandemic Repair Plan, and it was very welcome to hear from Minister Foley about those health care investments.

The Minister’s address was followed by a panel session moderated by Leanne Edwards, Director, Policy & Research, Committee for Melbourne featuring:

The wide-ranging discussion from the panellists included the need to embrace technology and innovative thinking to develop healthcare infrastructure and health precincts. Discussions included the need to consider the broader community in developing a well-functioning healthcare system, including integrated transport connectivity for access to jobs, amenities and services as well as skills to service the sector. An acknowledgement of the crucial need to develop a pipeline of skilled health professionals highlights the importance of planning for the future of the healthcare system.

This discussion follows the release of the Committee’s Benchmarking Melbourne 2022 report, which assessed Melbourne’s overall performance against 19 global peer cities. According to the Committee’s report, there remain opportunities for the city including acceleration of skills in the healthcare sector, increasing the supply of social and affordable housing and supporting the commercialisation and scaling-up of innovation. It was pleasing to hear from the panelists about new innovative processes, precincts and centers of research and commercialisation that will go towards addressing some of those challenges.

Thank you to Jane Hodder, Managing Partner, Melbourne, Herbert Smith Freehills and Committee Board Member, for hosting such an important future shaping discussion.

Please see links below for resources mentioned at yesterday’s event:

Sign up for Committee for Melbourne’s Communiqué

  • *Mandatory fields