Council
16 August, 2024
Britnell calls for additional hospital funds
THE Allan Labor Government must properly fund the Warrnambool Base Hospital so local communities across the South-West Coast can access the health care they deserve, according to Liberal MP for South West Coast, Roma Britnell.
“With the Allan Labor Government announcing an additional $1.5 billion in health funding, Labor must now tell the community exactly how much additional heath funding they will receive, as well as allocate additional funding to the Warrnambool Base Hospital redevelopment to deliver this project as promised,” Ms Britnell said.
“Following an increase in construction costs driven by the government’s mismanagement of major projects in Melbourne, the $384 million allocated to this project in 2020 is no longer enough to construct the Warrnambool Base Hospital to its promised scope.”
Ms Britnell believes that instead of cutting services including pathology, biomedicine, medical records, a morgue, kitchens, and car parks from the original development, additional funding must be provided to deliver this project to its promised scope, as it has done for other hospital infrastructure projects.
“The $384 million promised in the 2020 budget must be increased in line with construction cost increases; Labor must stop making excuses and local residents should not accept second best.
“The hospital should be built to meet the future needs of a growing region and the $1.5 billion announced by the government means they now have no excuse.”
Ms Britnell believes the government has driven up the cost of construction in Victoria, alleging it has wasted more than $40 billion in major project cost blowouts now revealed as a result of the corruption links to the CFMEU.
“Labor cannot manage money and communities in Warrnambool and the wider region are paying the price.”
