THE Victorian Government continues to play political games when it comes to health in the Mildura electorate.
Just why is anyone’s guess.
Last weekend, the Government told Sunraysia Daily that the northern Mallee health master plan would recommend a redevelopment of the current Mildura hospital.
The master plan remains six months overdue, yet Labor has still not made it public, and has provided no details around what a potential redevelopment will look like.
“The master plan has been finalised for Mildura Base Hospital which recommended a brownfields site,” a government spokesperson said.
“We’ll now work through what that might involve including costs, sequencing, staging, decanting and other planning and compliance work associated with redeveloping the existing hospital.”
So, no costings, no design, no timeline, no, well, anything.
As Member for Mildura Ali Cupper pointed out in Monday’s Sunraysia Daily: “The master plan costs $2.1 million. Surely you could have a costing by now.”
The Daily has been asking questions of new Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas for months on this issue, given the original timeline for release of the master plan was back in April.
The State Government has given no explanation around its delay, or why it can provide no detail now, just weeks ahead of the election.
Ms Cupper is calling on them to make a commitment before November 26.
“It’s just not fair to not provide us with something substantial,” she said.
Even Ms Cupper’s political opponent, Nationals candidate Jade Benham, said the Labor Government needed to stop “dangling” the carrot and provide more details about its plans.
They are both right.
I mean, when the Government refers to “redeveloping” the existing hospital site, does it mean just adding some extra toilets or car parking spots, or is it planning a major hospital upgrade that could cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars and transform the face of health in this region? There is a difference that we have a right to know about.
The Coalition has promised $750 million to build a new hospital if it wins the election.
For the record, Sunraysia Daily welcomes either a new or redeveloped hospital option at this stage, providing they are of world class standard. Without seeing plans, it’s impossible to name a preference.
What is not in debate across all parties is that our current facilities are inadequate.
Former Health Minister Martin Foley said as much during a tour of the Mildura hospital in early May.
Mildura services a vast region that draws in patients from hundreds of kilometres, as well as a growing population. Our hospital has been bursting at the seams for far too long, and our isolation should work for us, not against us.
When it comes to election promises for hospitals across the state, the Labor Party has been splashing the cash, but Mildura is being met with virtual silence.
It needs to stop playing games with our community and reveal its intentions.
Telling us you have finalised a plan but then refusing to provide details isn’t just cruel, it’s sickening.
