Thursday, 5 October 2023

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (17:08): (365) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, who I note is at the table, and the action I seek is for immediate funding to be provided to Western District Health Service to enable them to replace non-compliant flammable cladding on the wall of the rehabilitation ward at Hamilton Base Hospital. This is a matter which we know has been in the media for some time – flammable cladding on numerous buildings across the state – but it is of significant concern to health services when they have flammable cladding on their buildings. The board have been very proactive in engaging with Cladding Safety Victoria and the Victorian Health Building Authority in regard to replacing this cladding. It goes back to a period of time when Cladding Safety Victoria notified the hospital that this flammable cladding was present back in 2021. Since then the Victorian Health Building Authority have issued instructions to RP Infrastructure Pty Ltd to initiate procurement for their replacement cladding. A project control group was established consisting of representatives from CSV, VHBA, the consultant team and Western District Health Service. A construction group were engaged. All up, we are looking at this whole construction phase of the project, including engagement of consultants on the process, being in excess of $250,000, which is being paid for by the VHBA. Despite this initial communication in July 2022 confirming funding for the project would be made available and the works would commence, the hospital was notified in May of this year that that funding was no longer available and the project would not be funded. The hospital have written to the minister on two occasions that I am aware of, on 2 August and again on 6 September; they have not yet received a response from the minister. I did have an invitation from the minister to brief her on this before this matter, and I have, so I have given her some details. However, I am more than happy to provide further details, if required, at a later date. But given the safety concerns of the local community, particularly of the board and the staff – the staff do an amazing job at our Western District Health Service – I do ask the minister to ensure that funding is immediately provided so those rectification works can take place as soon as possible.