Land rezone sought for new hospital

Steps towards a new West Gippsland Hospital are progressing with advertisement this week of the State Government's intention to rezone land at Drouin East to facilitate the development.
An advertisement in today's Gazette has announced the Victorian Health Building Authority, on behalf of the Department of Health, will request Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny amend Baw Baw Shire's planning scheme to allow development of a new hospital on land at the corner of Lardners Trk and Princes Way.
The land, owned by the West Gippsland Healthcare Group, is currently zoned rural activity zone.

The Gazette made several requests to the VHBA and Department of Health for details of the proposed planning scheme amendment but the information was not provided.
The advertisement advises anyone who wants more information about the proposed amendment or would like to make a submission to email vhba.psafeedback@health.vic.gov.au
Submissions close at 5pm on October 4.
Specific timelines around the new hospital continue to be vague. The government failed to commit to a specific timeline after May's budget, other than committing to important planning processes that needed to be completed first.
At the time, WGHG chief executive officer Dan Weeks said the previously announced timeline that the building would be completed in 2028, and staff and patients would be in the new hospital in 2029, was "in serious jeopardy."
When former Premier Daniel Andrews announced the new hospital ahead of the 2022 election, he said:
"This has been properly costed, planned and funded - further design work would begin next year (2023) construction will begin in 2024, it will be completed by 2028, patients and staff would move into that brand new hospital in 2029".
Liberal Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham also said the lack of new funds for the project during the next year would delay the project significantly.
But, Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing was quick to defend her government at the time, rejecting criticism of progress on the project and stating planning would be completed in September and followed by "procurement processes" - calling of tenders and awarding of contracts - adding that "enabling and pre-construction works" on the site would be underway before the end of this calendar year.
The project proposed by the government is for a hospital with 223 beds and treatment spaces – an increase of up to 75 on the current site, increased capacity in the emergency department and three operating theatres.
The new hospital also will deliver a new birthing unit, including special care nursery cots.
It is proposed the public aged care service will provide up to 60 beds.