The federal member for Page says a new dental school planned for Ballina will help to reduce the waiting list for public dental care in the region.
The Commonwealth has pledged almost three quarters of a million dollars to the facility, which will provide four training clinics for students from the University of Sydney.
Janelle Saffin says that’s good news for those who may not be able to afford regular dental care.
“It will certainly help them because the students who come and do the training are final-year student, plus it’s at the Ballina Dental Clinic which is in the hospital where we already have dentists and dental therapists and people can get treatment,” Ms Saffin said.
“The Government’s trying to reintroduce (the) Commonwealth Dental Scheme which was axed in 1997,” she said.
“That created a huge waiting list of people waiting to get dental treatment, a lot in our area, that’s stuck in the Senate, blocked by the Coalition,” Ms Saffin said.
“This will help a little bit but we need to have the Coalition unblock that legislation,” she said.