Replacing Outdated and Inadequate Health Infrastructure
Delivering a Modern Hospital for the Charters Towers Region
Priority: Deliver a new purpose-built Charters Towers Hospital to improve healthcare access and strengthen regional health capacity and support the communities of inland North Queensland.
Every resident deserves access to safe, modern healthcare close to home. For people in the Charters Towers Region, that expectation is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.
Charters Towers Hospital has served the community since 1887. Generations of residents have relied on the facility, but ageing infrastructure, outdated layouts and non-compliance with contemporary health, safety and fire standards mean the facility can no longer support the level and model of care expected of a modern regional health service.
As a key service centre for inland North Queensland, Charters Towers provides essential healthcare services to surrounding communities across western Queensland. Investment in a new, purpose-built hospital would strengthen regional healthcare capacity, improve access to care and reduce pressure on larger facilities.
A replacement hospital is more than a health investment. It is critical regional infrastructure that supports population growth, workforce attraction, community wellbeing and the long-term sustainability of healthcare services.
A Growing and Ageing Community
Charters Towers is ageing faster than the rest of the state. The Region's median age is 42.5 years, compared with Queensland’s average of 38.5, and it's projected to climb to 46.6 by 2046.
Around 22 per cent of residents are already 65 or older, and 60.16 per cent of that group rely on the Age Pension. As this sector grows, so does the demand on local health services, and the case for infrastructure that can meet it.
Strong Demand for Healthcare Services
The existing service is already operating under significant demand. Between January and March 2026 alone, local health services recorded:
- 527 patient admissions
- 1,680 non-admitted patient services
- 205 same-day admissions
- 492 emergency admissions
- 322 overnight admissions
That's the level of demand the current facility is being asked to absorb, and the pressure will only continue to grow.
The Burden of Travelling for Healthcare
For many residents, healthcare means a long drive. A Queensland Health and Townsville Hospital and Health Service business case found:
- Around 49 per cent of Charters Towers patients travel to Townsville for treatment.
- Around 41 per cent of patients from Hughenden and Richmond do the same.
- Some patients travel up to 700 kilometres for specialist and life-saving care - including birthing and maternity care, gynaecological services, advanced diagnostic imaging, CT scans, and specialist consultations.
For older residents, vulnerable community members and those needing ongoing treatment, that distance is more than an inconvenience - it's a financial, physical and emotional strain, and it adds pressure to an already-stretched Townsville University Hospital.
Supporting Regional Healthcare Workforce Growth
Regional Queensland struggles to attract and keep healthcare workers, and Charters Towers is no exception: the Region has 67.24 healthcare and social assistance workers per 1,000 residents, well short of the state average of 86.73.
As at March 2026, the local workforce comprised:
- 15 doctors (12.26 full-time equivalent)
- 46 nurses and midwives (32.48 full-time equivalent)
- 12 allied health practitioners (11.84 full-time equivalent)
A modern hospital, with contemporary clinical environments, education and training spaces, would help attract, develop and retain the staff this region needs.
A Strategic Location for Future Healthcare
A site has already been identified, adjacent to the Eventide Residential Aged Care facility. It offers:
- A central and accessible location for residents.
- Ample space for future expansion and service growth.
- Improved connectivity between acute healthcare and aged care services.
- Easier access for older residents and vulnerable community members.
- The foundation for a modern healthcare campus built around contemporary care.
Benefits of a New Hospital
A new hospital would be built to serve the Charters Towers Region for decades. It would:
- Support a growing, ageing population.
- Improve access for residents across Charters Towers and western Queensland.
- Bring patient-centred design and modern healthcare technology.
- Strengthen emergency, surgical, sub-acute and outpatient services.
- Lift local healthcare capacity and capability.
- Cut the need for long-distance travel for treatment.
- Improve outcomes and patient experience.
- Provide modern training facilities to attract and retain staff.
- Generate construction and ongoing employment.
- Deliver broader economic benefits through investment and workforce growth.
Advocacy Priority
Investing in a new Charters Towers Hospital is an investment in the future health of inland North Queensland.
A modern replacement hospital would improve healthcare access and patient outcomes, strengthen emergency and specialist services, support workforce attraction and retention, reduce the burden of long-distance travel and increase regional healthcare capacity for communities across Charters Towers and western Queensland.
More information
ABC News - Cloncurry, Charters Towers residents crying out for basic upgrades to deteriorating hospitals
Katter's Australia Party - 50 years late, Charters Towers, Townsville can't wait a day longer
Townsville Enterprise - $578M needed to upgrade health facilities in the Region
NQ Register - Charters Towers hospital forum discusses urgent need for new facility
CTRC - Queensland Premier welcomed to Charters Towers
NQ Register - Charters Towers hospital e-petition attracts hundreds of signatures