MEMBER for Mildura Ali Cupper has vehemently denied “completely misleading” the Mildura community over her commitment for a new hospital in the region.
The Victorian Parliament was this week told the Andrews Government had “totally failed the people of Mildura” when funding for a new hospital was not included in the 2022-23 State Budget.
Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said Health Minister Martin Foley made “all sorts of excuses” about waiting for the completion of a master plan when it was due to be released by the end of April.
Ms Lovell told parliament there had been no reason given for the delay, but according to public service rumours it was for the government to buy more time to go back and review the plan.
“Instead of actually delivering one new hospital to Mildura, according to the rumours from the public service they are now exploring delivering the hospital across two campuses, with one of those campuses being just an upgrade of the facilities at the current base hospital,” Ms Lovell said.
“The (Health) Minister had a chance to see for himself last week how inadequate those facilities are, so I hope that has completely changed his mind.
“But I seriously doubt this government’s commitment to actually providing a first-class, world-class hospital in Mildura.
However, Ms Cupper said the government’s term in office had yet to come to an end and she would continue to push for a new Mildura Base Public Hospital.
“I look forward to Wendy’s sincere apology for her lack of faith in me if I manage to pull it off,” Ms Cupper said.
“The fight continues.”
The government allocated $2 million towards the master plan in the 2021-22 budget and, in March this year, Mr Foley said that work was “well under way” and would be completed “in the very near term”.
He said the master plan would deliver “what the community of Mildura has always deserved: a world-class public hospital that is able to deliver, close to where people live, the services they need in partnership with the wider public health system”.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy has committed $750 million for a new hospital in Mildura, including an academic health precinct.
Ms Lovell this week there was “a very stark contrast” in Mildura right now.
“They can vote for Ali Cupper and get a Labor government and get more of the same – get ignored, have their hospital just kicked along the road a bit, have the can kicked along the road a bit more – ‘let’s delay the master planning a little bit longer’,” she said.
“The government never intended to make any commitment, whereas in stark contrast to that the Liberal Party have made a commitment to a world-class hospital and an educational precinct in Mildura.”
Labor Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp said the 2022-23 State Budget had delivered “a magnificent array of initiatives” for northern Victoria and Ms Lovell had “just banged on about Mildura”.
