The federal Labor government has reconfirmed it commitment to build a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Somerville, despite a call for tenders indicating a preference for the clinic to be located in Hastings.
The South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network invited accredited general practices to submit tenders for the establishment of four new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics including one on the “Mornington Peninsula – with a preference for Hastings”.
During the campaign, Foreign Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate Penny Wong joined Labor candidate for Flinders, Sarah Race, to announce the Somerville-based clinic would begin operating in the 2025/26 financial year “providing bulk billed care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions, seven days a week, for extended hours, and with no appointment needed” (Labor will open a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Somerville, The News 11/3/25).
The call for tenders indicating a preference for Hastings as the location was at odds with that commitment.
Zoe McKenzie, MP for Flinders, broke the news on social media on Friday (22/8) stating “I welcome much-needed investment in our area, including the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic announced in the March budget”.
“But when governments make big promises, locals deserve to see them delivered where and how they were pledged, or at the very least, to be consulted before any major change.”
The apparent breaking of an election commitment by the federal Labor government attracted a swift condemnation from Somerville residents and businesses.
“The federal government seem to be backflipping on a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Somerville and seeking tenders with a focus on Hastings,” said the secretary of the Somerville Business Group Inc, David Livingstone.
“Surely the town with the larger population reach and lesser number of clinics deserves to have this federal government commitment honoured as soon as possible.”
By Friday afternoon, The News had received confirmation from the office of the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler MP, reiterating the plan to establish an Urgent Care Clinic in Somerville. A relief, no doubt, to Somerville residents and traders, and to Race who had put her name to the pledge during the campaign.
“I’m thrilled to see that Labor is delivering a significant healthcare investment into the Mornington Peninsula, especially Western Port. With a growing population and so many young families – it’ll be priceless to have free, local, walk-in health care,” said Race.
