New hospital promised
A $600 million new West Gippsland Hospital has been pledged by State Opposition leader Matthew Guy.
It is the second time the Liberals leader has stood on the Drouin East greenfield site to commit his Liberal/Nationals government to a new hospital.
Four years ago it was the same election promise and on Friday, Mr Guy said he was disappointed the State Government had continued to neglect the community’s needs in failing to deliver a new hospital.
Mr Guy committed to building a new 200 bed, fit-for-purpose hospital on land owned by West Gippsland Healthcare Group in their first term of government.
“We need money and the will of a state government to make it happen and it won’t happen under an Andrews’ Government. We will make it happen,” he said.
The $600 million project is proposed to be built with $400 million state funds and $200 million from the federal government.
Mr Guy said he was confident the federal government would contribute $200 million.
Despite now being in opposition, Member for Monash Russell Broadbent was at Friday’s announcement where he guaranteed a federal government should “always” find money for a new hospital project.
He said the previous Morrison government was prepared to commit to a new hospital but the commitment had never come from the Andrews’ government.
Mr Broadbent said he had been lobbying for a new hospital for years and that would not change.
Mr Guy said the existing West Gippsland Hospital was outdated and no longer met the needs of a growing community and the board had done a remarkable job patching up the existing hospital.
“The current hospital simply cannot cope with the massive increase in demand and rapid population growth in the area.
“There is a lot of confidence in the shire...we have to have a health facility that matches the demand that is here. This isn’t out of want, this is out of necessity,” he said.
Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said building a new hospital in Warragul would ensure the West Gippsland community would get the quality healthcare they deserve, close to home when they need it. She said years of neglect and under investment had seen the health system crumble.
Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood said the existing West Gippsland Hospital was a patchwork of extensions and renovations.
“The Liberals and Nationals will build a new hospital facility and make sure the demands and needs of patients and the local community are met.
“The current hospital is well beyond its intended lifespan and a new modern facility will deliver not only the services patients expect, but the facilities our healthcare workers deserve,” he said.
Liberal Candidate for Narracan Wayne Farnham said a new hospital recognised the needs of the local community in replacing a hospital that was built in 1939.
He said the hospital’s healthcare workers did an amazing job working in sub-standard conditions.
“A new West Gippsland Hospital has been the number one project consistently raised with me since I was preselected.
“Our community deserves better. If this gets delayed any longer the health crisis here will be unbearable,” he said.
The ALP made an election promise in 2014 to provide $1 million for a feasibility study and business cases for two options – a new hospital on a greenfield site or redevelopment on the existing site.
However, the findings of that report have never been released publicly.
A Health Department strategic services plan in July 2016 identified the growing demands on the West Gippsland Healthcare Group, across all areas of the hospital including emergency presentations, clinical, aged care and obstetrics.
The report forecast acute and sub-acute inpatients would more than double from 11,380 in 2014/15 to 23,265 in the next five to 10 years.
Last week, in response to Mr Guy’s announcement, the state government released a statement warning West Gippslanders not to trust the opposition.
“You can’t trust the Liberals with our hospitals - in Gippsland or anywhere in Victoria. When they were last in government they cut funding to regional hospitals, slashed services and sacked staff - and they’ll do it again if given the chance.
“This is yet another half-baked plan from the opposition - with no costings, no timeframe and no details,” the spokesperson said.
When asked about the feasibility study and whether a new hospital was on the government’s radar, The Gazette was told the above