Wednesday, 8 February 2023

Northern Victoria Region health infrastructure

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:29): (18) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Health. The action that I seek from the minister is for her to immediately make public the Northern Mallee health master plan to inform the Sunraysia community of the government’s plans regarding the redevelopment of the Mildura Base Public Hospital and also for the minister to commit the required funding to ensure a world-class hospital is delivered for the people of the north-west.

By electing a coalition candidate, the people of Mildura electorate sent a clear message to Daniel Andrews and the Labor government on election day that they both need and want a new hospital in Mildura. The electorate lost patience with a Labor-voting independent who, rather than being Mildura’s voice in Spring Street, as she was elected to be, had become the government’s mouthpiece in the electorate, spruiking Labor’s lines and delivering nothing. Mallee people are no fools, and they realised that the endless delays in the Mallee health plan, which details the future of the Mildura Base Public Hospital, was a sign that Labor had no real interest in progressing the project, despite the obvious need for a new hospital. The voters understood that the government’s reluctance to release the master plan meant the Andrews government was not interested in redeveloping the hospital. Their anger increased as they watched the Premier and health minister touring around Victoria announcing funding for other hospitals while Mildura hospital was blatantly forgotten. The people of Mildura are proud of the work of hospital staff, but they know those same workers have been let down by Labor as they continue to work in a facility that no longer meets the health needs of the Sunraysia region. In May the Mildura Base Public Hospital suffered a code yellow when both the hospital and the emergency department had reached full capacity and could not meet patient demand. Because of their remote locations, patients do not have the option of going to another hospital, meaning that construction of a new hospital in Mildura is of critical importance.

During the election campaign the Liberal–National coalition committed $750 million to build a new hospital in Mildura. This contrasts with Labor, who have intentionally kept the community in the dark and committed nothing. On election night Daniel Andrews stated that he will govern for all Victorians, and the result in Mildura was the local community reminding the Premier that Mildura is actually in Victoria. They are sick of the government’s inaction on a new Mildura Base Public Hospital, and I call on the minister to immediately release the northern Mallee health master plan and commit funding to build the world-class hospital service that the Mildura and Sunraysia community both need and deserve.