Newsroom

November 14, 2025

Exactly seven months to the day after Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter called on the Health Minister to expand renal dialysis services in Charters Towers, health executives have confirmed that the sessions will double in January 2026.

The expansion in capacity from three to six sessions per week would mean that four elderly Charters Towers patients who currently travelled to Townsville three times a week for dialysis would no longer have to make the exhausting three-hour round trip.

Mr Katter, who had persistently lobbied for funding to extend the renal dialysis unit, backed by Health Service leaders, praised the commitment to providing the live-saving care to critically-ill rural Queenslanders.

“This is a really big win for the community,” Mr Katter said.

“It’s been three years since the renal dialysis unit opened, which we were proud to help deliver after some pretty relentless lobbying from so many hardworking local advocates, spearheaded by Tracey Murphy.

“This news today is very welcome and this change means a lot to the Charters Towers community, particularly one couple, aged 76 and 81, who have been travelling to Townsville together three days a week for a long time, missing out on their retirement and the basic dignity of receiving live-saving treatment closer to home.”

The dialysis unit had been constrained by limited staffing and underfunding, currently operating just three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) with only one shift each day – a model that fell short of demand, with waitlist numbers indicating the service needed to expand to two shifts per day at least five days per week.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service confirmed the extended sessions would accommodate the four Charters Towers patients so they no longer required travel to Townsville for treatment.

They stated recruitment for staff had commenced, and new team members were undertaking comprehensive training.

Mr Katter said he looked forward to the delivery of the extended capacity of the unit and adequate regional healthcare to allow Charters Towers patients to remain in the comfort of their community.

“We have been promised a Government that will listen to regional Queensland and provide better access to sufficient health services in the bush, and we anticipate the great change this new commitment will bring.”