Victorian premier vows to open 10 free dental clinics

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll promises 10 free public dental clinics In short: Premier Ben Carroll is vowing to create 10 free dental clinics if his government is re-elected in November. The clinics will be open on a walk-in basis and available to anyone. What's next? Health Minister Ingrid Stitt says some clinics could be operational from July 2027. Premier Ben Carroll has committed to opening 10 free public dental clinics if re-elected in November, in a soft launch of Labor's re-election pitch focused on the cost of living and health. Anyone would be able to access the walk-in clinics. The government said they would have capacity to treat more than 100,000 patients annually at a cost of $230 million over three years. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt told the ABC some of the clinics could be operational from July 2027. The government has not confirmed when the full 10 will be up and running. Mr Carroll, who took over the leadership last month, is expected to lead a campaign rally in Melbourne's north-western suburbs on Saturday morning as Labor attempts to beat current polling trends and win a fourth term. As it stands, the waitlist for public dental care — open only to eligible Victorians such as those with a healthcare card — is more than 12 months. The government said these existing services, which treat tens of thousands of Victorians a year, would continue under the proposal. Seven in Melbourne, three in regions Seven clinics available to everyone would open in Melbourne and three in regional Victoria, the government said. Their locations and details about the workforce required will be announced in the coming weeks. Under the plan, patients would be able to get free check-ups and treatment such as fillings, root canals and extractions. Urgent patients would be treated first. The state government expects some of the dental clinics would need to be built, but others could be co-located with existing services like urgent care clinics. "I'm fighting for the tens of thousands of working people who can't afford to see a dentist," Mr Carroll said in a statement. "This is not a one-off boost — it's structural cost-of-living support, and it's a national first." Medicare does not include dental Medicare, a Commonwealth responsibility, does not include dental. The federal Greens have for years called for dentistry to be covered. Victoria has previously pursued policies — occasionally outside its remit at a cost to the state despite budget constraints — in order to pressure the federal government to take responsibility. Former premier Daniel Andrews and his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet in 2022 jointly promised to open priority primary care clinics with GPs as key planks of their re-election pitches. The states heaped pressure on the Commonwealth to improve primary health care, and the Albanese government now funds some of those clinics, renamed Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. Victorian Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said the promised dental clinics would work like those sites.