Mayor's Message 20 October

Hello everyone,

This week, the NSW and Victorian Governments released the long-awaited master plan for a new Albury Wodonga Regional Hospital.

To say we are disappointed is an understatement. The plan severely lacks detail, leaving us none the wiser on how this new $558M hospital, to be located at the site of the existing Albury Base hospital will deliver world-class health services for our region.

There are no details on how many beds or theatres will be included, nothing about car parking and there is nothing to suggest that this new hospital will in any way address the acute issue of ambulance response times which continues to be a major concern for Indigo Shire.

We want to see information and transparency regarding the business case and data that supports the current position of a redevelopment.

As I have stated here before, we believe our region will be best served by a new purpose-built, single-site hospital with good access and a multitude of health services co-located.

We see a strong link between a new hospital that is accessible, has room to expand and provides allied health services in one location with improved Code 1 ambulance response times.

Any site, be it in Albury or Wodonga, needs to consider transport and accessibility to help with ambulance turn-around times and we don’t believe redeveloping the existing Albury hospital will achieve this.

I’m also disappointed that the so-called master plan was only released on Monday and pop-up sessions for the community to comment were held in our region yesterday and earlier today. I’m unsure with so little time to promote these sessions how many people turned up.

I have to agree with our Local Federal MP, Helen Haines, who is reported as telling federal parliament that, the NSW and Victoria governments have "let down" Albury-Wodonga with a master plan and that we are being sold a lemon.

You can read more about the project by visiting the NSW Government website and I encourage all residents who agree that we deserve better, to have your say.  When considering the value of this proposed plan, it is vital that you consider its long-term impact and whether it will meet both the present and future needs of our growing region.  Community Consultation closes November 7.  

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Regards