Albury Hospital missing out from a budget that promises ‘better services for regional NSW’
NSW Greens spokesperson for Health Dr Amanda Cohn has slammed the Minns Labor Government’s unequal treatment of hospital infrastructure projects in today’s NSW budget.
An additional $55 million has been allocated to the $835 million redevelopment of John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle in response to ‘cost escalation,’ while the Albury Hospital redevelopment has had critical components cut since its announcement, including the helipad and fit-out of the children' s ward. Grafton Hospital also received a $20 million boost to its $264 million redevelopment for an additional new maternity unit.
Albury Wodonga Health, on the NSW/Victorian border serves a catchment area of approximately 300,000 people and has been the centre of controversy since the NSW Government announced its plans in 2022 to redevelop the existing hospital site rather than build a new hospital as recommended by a 2021 masterplan.
The Minns Labor Government also blocked a motion by Dr Cohn to release the full business case supporting the project in the upper house of the NSW Parliament today.
Dr Cohn said “The Minns Labor Government isn’t just failing to deliver the health services Albury needs - they’re failing to deliver the redevelopment that was announced. Other hospital builds have had their budgets topped up to deliver what was planned, but not Albury.”
“This is clearly a political choice, and one enabled by those who continue to celebrate crumbs rather than fight for fair funding for our community,” Dr Cohn said.
Other NSW hospitals with infrastructure funding greater than the $225 million allocated to the Albury hospital redevelopment:
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$440.4 million Shoalhaven hospital
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$828.9 million Shellharbour Hospital
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$2 billion for new Bankstown Hospital
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Over $1 billion for Nepean Hospital
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$830 million Liverpool hospital
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$330 million Eurobodalla Hospital
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$250 million Griffith Hospital
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$265 million Port Macquarie Base Hospital