Call for Accommodation Subsidy Increase
The Leukaemia Foundation criticised the Queensland Government’s review of the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme, calling it incomplete. The government increased the fuel subsidy from 34 cents to 45 cents per kilometre. However, the foundation stressed that this measure is inadequate for regional cancer patients who need to travel long distances for treatment.
Many regional cancer patients in Queensland face severe financial challenges due to a stagnant accommodation subsidy. It has not kept pace with real-world travel costs. The Leukaemia Foundation is urging the government to increase the current $70 nightly accommodation rate.
Chris Tanti, Chief Executive Officer of the Leukaemia Foundation, expressed concern that the 11-cent increase in fuel costs “barely touches the sides” of the crisis. “While more money for fuel helps with the journey, it doesn’t solve the crisis facing patients once they arrive at the hospital gates,” he said. “Increasing the fuel subsidy is a start, but you can’t drive 600 kilometres for life-saving chemotherapy and then sleep in your car because you can’t afford a bed.”
Comparisons and Concerns
The foundation highlighted that the accommodation subsidy in South Australia was recently increased to $110 per night under the Malinauskas Government. Without similar action, Queensland risks falling behind in national support for patients.
David MacGregor, a leukaemia patient from Gladstone, shared his experience of relocating to Brisbane for treatment. “Without the support of the Leukaemia Foundation, we would have been financially ruined,” he stated, emphasising the financial strain of being away from home. “We were over 500 kilometres from home and unable to work that whole time. It would have cost us tens of thousands of dollars to stay near the hospital and travel back and forth.”
The foundation advocates for an immediate increase in the accommodation subsidy to at least $100 per night, with annual indexation to prevent future shortfalls. “We need a streamlined, uniform system across all Hospital and Health Services to ensure equity of access for the 50% of Queenslanders who live in regional and remote areas,” Tanti added.
According to the Leukaemia Foundation, more than half of all Queenslanders live outside Greater Brisbane, making access to specialist cancer services challenging. Thousands of regional families must relocate for weeks, months, or sometimes years at a time for treatment. The Foundation has met with Minister Nicholls, urging him to address these critical issues. He was the Treasurer who oversaw the last major uplift to this scheme in 2013. They are calling on him to show that same leadership again.
Last updated: 29 June 2026, 11:47 am
