Victorian Opposition Leader pledges $10.4 million for proton beam therapy to treat cancer at Peter MacCallum Centre

Victoria ’s state opposition has pledged $10.4 million to establish proton beam therapy at Melbourne ’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, as pressure mounts to bring the lifesaving cancer treatment to Australia. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson promised funding for the “world class cancer treatment” if the Liberal and Nationals win November’s state election. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is seeking $10.4 million each from the Victorian and Federal Governments, with a further $10 million to be raised through hospital foundations. “I’m calling on (Prime Minister) Anthony Albanese and (Federal Health Minister) Mark Butler to commit to this so that we get this treatment here for Victorians, we get it here for Australians, and we make sure that we can save lives,” Wilson said. The announcement comes after extensive reporting by 7NEWS into Australia’s failed proton therapy project in Adelaide , which has left seriously ill children travelling overseas for treatment. As 7NEWS previously revealed, Butler is considering proposals from both Adelaide and Melbourne, with the possibility of establishing two centres.

At the announcement, Wilson was joined by Michael Jackett and his daughter Polly, who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer at just three years old. After six months of chemotherapy at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, the family travelled overseas for proton radiation therapy. “From that moment our lives turned upside down,” Jackett said. “It’s not an easy thing to undertake to firstly learn that your child’s got an aggressive brain cancer but then also be told that the only available treatment or the best available treatment is overseas.”

Proton therapy delivers targeted radiation that can reduce damage to surrounding healthy tissue, particularly important for children whose bodies are still developing. The Peter MacCallum Centre is proposing a compact system that could be installed within its existing hospital infrastructure.

But questions remain about whether Melbourne’s proposed technology could treat very young children who require general anaesthetic. The South Australian proposal includes a rotating gantry system, allowing children to lie down and receive treatment under general anaesthetic. But the state government will not commit funding. The Victorian Opposition says the project is ready to progress. “The technology has advanced over recent years. It can be put into this hospital today,” Wilson said. Despite the election pledge, Commonwealth funding has not been secured and there is still no confirmed date for Australia’s first operational proton therapy centre.