Victorian Coalition faces questions over hospital funding pledges

The Victorian Coalition faces scrutiny over its hospital funding pledges, with a significant disparity between promises for a new $850 million hospital in Drouin and a $180 million redevelopment in Mildura. The Coalition, which includes the Liberal and National parties, made these commitments ahead of the upcoming state election.

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a bit of a slap in the face

A community campaign group in Mildura, Build the Base, has publicly questioned the justification for the difference in funding. The group's vice-president, Stephen Parr, described the situation as "a bit of a slap in the face," arguing that Mildura's remoteness and the higher complexity of cases treated at its hospital warrant greater investment. He contrasted this with seats closer to Melbourne, suggesting budget conditions might be more favorable there.

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Clearly the budget conditions haven't changed that much when you're in seats that are closer to Melbourne

Nationals MP for Mildura, Jade Benham, acknowledged that there is "simply less money" available now compared to a previous election. She suggested that while community needs haven't changed, innovation in hospital management has allowed for quicker adaptation. However, this explanation has not appeased the Build the Base group, which maintains that their community's needs are more acute.

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We are one of the most remote hospitals in the state.

The Coalition's election commitments have shifted since the 2022 election, when they promised a $750 million new hospital for Mildura. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson explained that election commitments are "not static" and that circumstances change. The party has yet to fully justify the revised funding amounts for Mildura compared to the new hospital promised for Drouin.

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election commitments were 'not static' and things changed.