A free dental clinic in Ballarat would be open for 76 hours a week, under a state Labor promise made on Sunday.
Labor leader Ben Carroll upsized his pledge for 10 dental clinics to 20, with Ballarat one of six regional locations. The others are Geelong, Mildura, Shepparton, Latrobe and Bendigo.
He said the walk-up clinics would open in July 2027, and that the government would invest $460 million in the scheme. The clinics would open from 9am to 9pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on weekends.
People would be able to have free check-ups, fillings, root canals and extractions. Cases would be prioritised on the basis of urgency.
In an attempt to lure workers at the clinics, the state would offer regional dentists a sign-on bonus of $30,000.
The Australian Dental Association Victoria Branch (ADAVB) said the Labor proposal was a "significant and untested model” and must not increase "publicly eligible and underserved populations paying fees while others receive care for free”.
“The test for every commitment is whether it reaches the people with the greatest need first, and whether there is a realistic and sustainable plan to staff it,” said President Dr Carolyn Ng.
A local dental nurse told the Brolga that although the move may impact the bottom line of the business, “I think it’ll be worth it … A lot of people don’t have healthcare, and there’s only one public clinic [in Ballarat]”.
Why does it matter? There have long been calls for dental to be covered by Medicare, however political parties baulk at the cost. As a result, older and younger Australians delay dental care.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics stated that between 2022 and 2023, 2.3 million Australians skipped seeing the dentist due to the price tag.
The data also showed that lower income earners were more likely to delay treatment, and were three times more likely to delay a visit by two years.
What next? The Brolga has sought comment from local MPs and candidates, and several local dentists, and will update this story as required.
The Liberal candidates - Megan Read, Emma Muir and Gavin Ronan - shared a joint statement.
“Every Victorian deserves access to affordable dental care, but Labor’s … promise lacks a credible plan for delivery,” it read.
“With community dental waiting times averaging 15 months, serious questions remain about where the dentists will come from, how new clinics will be staffed without worsening existing waitlists, who will be eligible and how the scheme will be funded”.