$850 million promised for new hospital

by Courtney O'Brien
Opposition leader Jess Wilson has announced a renewed commitment by the Liberals and Nationals to deliver a new $850 million West Gippsland Hospital at Drouin East.
If elected in November, the Coalition has promised to deliver the long-awaited project, in an announcement made on site, last Thursday.
The development would include 230 beds and treatment spaces, an emergency department with 33 treatment spaces, modern training facilities, 60 residential care beds and additionally, accommodation for healthcare workers.

"This is a critically important part of our regional health care network and the community here in West Gippsland and across the Narracan electorate desperately needs better health care services," Ms Wilson said.

The accommodation for health care workers is a new addition to the project, to ensure health care workers can be trained and attained in the region.
"We are standing here because people like Wayne have been fighting for this for years. They are of this community. They understand the needs of this community and Wayne Farnham will ensure this gets delivered," she said.
Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham said the Liberal Party had been consistent in its support for a new hospital, committing to it in 2018, 2022 and now 2026.
"We've been waiting on this hospital for the best part of a decade. Labor had an opportunity to deliver the hospital and they failed."
In 2022, the Labor Government promised a new West Gippsland Hospital with more than $610 million announced for a new facility, to be completed by 2028.
Four years later, construction has not begun and, in a further blow to the project, planning funding was removed from this year's state budget.
Previously the government allocated $320 million in the state budget for planning and early works for seven hospitals under the Hospital Infrastructure Delivery Fund.
Mr Farnham said the subsequent two budgets did not clarify how much of that funding would be allocated to each hospital project.
He said the fund had been depleted and in this year's budget instead, funding was announced to replace the roof at the existing hospital.
Mr Farnham said from the $320 million it had not been confirmed how much was allocated to planning and early works for West Gippsland.
Shadow Minister for Health Georgie Crozier said she had visited the hospital with Mr Farnham several times.
"I understand the needs of the community and the clinicians. I suggest the Premier and the Health Minister get down here and understand exactly what the clinicians and patients and visitors for that matter, have to put up with."
"This facility has served its community extremely well, but its past its used by date, and it is falling and crumbling, and it needs to be renewed and that's why we made this commitment four years ago, and why we are sincerely making it again."
The renewed commitment is part of the Coalition's Fair Share Guarantee - a commitment that at least 25 per cent of all new infrastructure spending is allocated to projects in regional Victoria.