Regional health: Coalition promises new hospitals for Albury-Wodonga, Mildura and Warragul

Regional health has been firmly in the spotlight with $1.65b promised for new hospital in key centres by the Victorian Coalition.

The Victorian Coalition will spend $1.65b on new hospitals in three major regional centres if elected in November.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy’s latest promise on regional health is a $300m contribution towards a new hospital servicing the cross-border cities of Albury-Wodonga, which the Victorian government is responsible for operating.

Albury’s Breck Scott-Young, who had to be transferred to Wagga for treatment in February following a heart attack, said the NSW and federal governments had to also step up.

“Twenty years ago the hospital was too small and under-resourced,” he said.

“They say NSW will put in the same as Victoria, but I don’t know whether that will do it.

“$600m will build you a reasonably nice country hospital, but we are a very large area, supporting a very large population.”

The Albury-Wodonga Coalition commitment follows earlier announcements for even bigger amounts of $750m for a replacement hospital in Mildura and $600m towards a new hospital at Warragul.

The NSW and federal governments will be expected to commit funding to the new Albury-Wodonga hospital on an equal one-third share basis.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and member for Benambra Bill Tilley confirm the Coalition will commit $300m towards a new Albury-Wodonga hospital. Picture: Supplied

Mr Guy said he hoped the Coalition commitment would put pressure on the Labor government to at least match the pledge.

The Andrews government’s delay in releasing a masterplan to guide the development of a new hospital servicing the border’s population catchment totalling more than 300,000 people has been a major source of frustration.

“A new hospital for the Albury-Wodonga border community is vital, and this announcement

follows a number of major healthcare commitments the Liberals and Nationals have made,” Mr Guy said.

“Our commitment to fixing the health crisis is clear.”

The Albury hospital.

Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said years of underinvestment had crippled the

health system’s ability to cope with increased pressures borne out in Covid.

‘Victorians have had enough of the blame games,” she said.

Last month the West Gippsland health service in charge of the Warragul hospital was left “deeply disappointed” that funding for a replacement hospital was overlooked in the state budget.

But a Labor spokesman said the Liberals had a track record of funding cuts to regional hospitals, slashed services and sacked staff.

“They can’t be trusted to deliver a stethoscope let alone a hospital,” he said.

“With no funding commitment from NSW or the federal government and the master plan for the health service not yet complete, this is just another empty promise from the Liberals.

“Unlike the Liberals who have a history of closing regional and rural hospital beds when they’re in government, we are delivering upgrades and expansions right across regional Victoria, including more than $800m in the recent budget.”