NSW Government does not allocate any funding for Rouse Hill hospital in this budget

LOCALS have a longer wait for the planned Rouse Hill hospital with no money being earmarked from last week’s state budget for the much overdue facility.

Premier Mike Baird speaking about the new Rouse Hill hospital in March last year with Health Minister Jillian Skinner and Riverstone MP Kevin Conolly. Picture: Carmela Roche

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LOCALS have a longer wait for the planned Rouse Hill hospital with no money being earmarked from last week’s state budget for the much overdue facility.

Castle Hill state Liberal MP Ray Williams, who has been pushing for the hospital for years, however, stressed it will be built, despite not being mentioned in the budget.

“The funding for the Rouse Hill hospital is coming from the 49 per cent lease of the poles and wires network as announced prior to the last election,” Mr Williams told the Rouse Hill Times.

Then Hawkesbury MP Ray Williams, Health Minister Jillian Skinner and Riverstone MP Kevin Conolly taking the pledge in November 2014 to build the hospital. Picture: Lawrence Machado

“That funding has not yet been completed and once it is further details regarding the hospital will be released.

“The commitment to a new hospital in Rouse Hill remains as part of the Rebuilding NSW process.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Jillian Skinner confirmed while there was no funding for the Rouse Hill hospital in this budget, it will be included in 2018/19 budget.

“Planning for the hospital will begin in this term of government, with funding to be provided from Rebuilding NSW in 2018/19 (as per the State Infrastructure Strategy),” she said.

Ms Skinner said during the Budget last Tuesday where nearly $1.6 billion was pledged for the health capital works program, that “there’s a hospital building boom under way across NSW.”

According to previous government announcements, the hospital is expected to be completed by 2023 and will include an ­emergency department, ­operating theatres and ­­in­patient wards.

No sites have been disclosed by the government.