Hospital should be bi-partisan

Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood used the floor of state parliament last week to call on Premier Daniel Andrews to give bipartisan support for building a new West Gippsland Hospital.

The current and future healthcare needs should be a priority that goes well beyond partisan politics, Mr Blackwood said,

“If the premier chooses to play politics with the issue then what better way than giving the yet to be announced Labor candidate for Narracan something to campaign with,” he stated.

“Give the candidate the opportunity to announce that a re-elected Andrews government will build a new hospital on a greenfield site and promise to fund it in its 2019 budget”.

Mr Blackwood said Opposition leader Matthew Guy had already committed to fund a start on building in the 2019 budget if the Coalition was elected in November.

He also said that within government ranks Upper House Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing had also advocated strongly for the hospital.

“The 59-acre site the WGH board bought in 2006, helped by a significant bequest, has good transport links, enormous potential for a purpose-built health hub and was located in the middle of the residential growth centres of Warragul and Drouin”.

Mr Blackwood pointed to the population growth that had already occurred.

Between 2011 and 2016 Warragul’s population had grown by 12 per cent, Drouin’s by 28 per cent, Longwarry 40 per cent and Trafalgar 29 per cent.

The hospital’s catchment area currently has 50,000 people with the number predicted to reach 90,000 over the next 20 years, he added.

Mr Blackwood said the government should recognise the community’s advocacy for a new hospital, especially the “Where’s the Funding” group that had been tireless in its effort to engage with local members of parliament, the health minister, shadow minister and Mr Guy.