Wednesday, 12 August 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (19:45): (2691) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is that the minister advise when the Carroll Labor government will update the Albury–Wodonga community on the progress in tender evaluations for the Albury Wodonga Health clinical services building. Tenders closed in April but the project remains veiled in secrecy, and frankly that is just not good enough. In the lead-up to the 2022 election, Labor promised a transformational redevelopment of Albury Wodonga Health. Almost four years later the community is still waiting for construction to begin. The project, which is slated to begin at the start of 2027, which is only a few months away, has become synonymous with delays, secrecy and broken promises.

As planning has progressed and true costs become apparent, the government’s original promise has been gutted. Essential components have disappeared under the convenient label of ‘value managed’, including infrastructure the community rightly expected would form part of a modern regional hospital. The height of the building has been reduced by three floors. Some floors will be shell spaces – a lack of money means they will not be fitted out. The helipad is gone and the multistorey car park has been ditched, just to name a few. The full business case remains hidden from the public despite repeated calls for its release, leaving the community in the dark about what is being delivered. The project has also been plagued by instability, and that is not just the cracks in the ward walls caused by unstable ground. A crisis manager was appointed and has since departed, while confidence has been undermined by continuing uncertainty over the scope, funding and delivery of the redevelopment.

Public reports indicate tenders closed three months ago. I have been up there recently. I met with the outgoing acting chair Andrew Way. He showed me a plan – that was all just a fudge. I thought it was just a disgrace how I was treated on that visit given I had no follow-up after it was guaranteed there would be. I really am concerned about where this is going. If the government’s plan to start construction in early 2027 is to be achieved, a successful contractor will need to be appointed in the very near future. This is a Victorian election promise for a Victorian-funded public hospital. The 180,000 Victorians in the north-east who rely on this service deserve answers from the Victorian government. The minister cannot bury her head in the sand and hide behind the fact that New South Wales Health Infrastructure is managing the procurement process. Whatever arrangements exist between the two states, the Carroll government remains accountable to the people of Victoria for delivering the hospital it promised.

Border communities have waited long enough. Every month of delay means patients and clinicians suffer and conspiracy theories swirl about and gather momentum while uncertainty and frustration continue to fester. The action I seek is for the minister to provide, as a matter of urgency, some transparency, confirm that construction remains on track to commence in early 2027 and state whether the government will publicly release the project’s business case and final scope of works before construction commences. The community deserves nothing less.