Albury Wodonga Health chairman urges unity amid hospital divide

Matt Burke spruiked the $558 million upgrade of Albury hospital in his speech on Tuesday night (February 28) to Albury Wodonga Health's annual meeting.

"Every doubt cast on the new hospital is another person who loses confidence to seek treatment in their time of need," Mr Burke said.

"That's why tonight, I'm publicly calling on our community leaders and health advocates to unite behind our new hospital."

Mr Burke's call follows a tumultuous week with Wodonga Council vowing to continue to advocate for an entirely new hospital and Albury Council opting not to join it and voting in favour of the upgrade announced by the Victorian and NSW premiers in October.

"There's a myth circulating that brownfield somehow means less," he said before adding "this is not true" and citing the benefits of developing Albury hospital as a medical precinct and starting construction next year rather than waiting longer.

In answering questions about the board's support for a greenfields site, Mr Burke stressed it always wanted a single-site solution.

He said $558 million was "not enough" for long term plans and the board would continue to advocate for more stages to be bankrolled.

IN OTHER NEWS:

"To have successfully secured $558 million funding, to achieve that, is a cause in my view for celebration not consternation," Mr Burke said.

Albury Wodonga Health chief executive Bill Appleby told the meeting a single site hospital was needed for a better and safer staff and patient "experience".

Mr Burke stressed NSW Health would consult the community on the building at Albury hospital and said an assessment of what would occur with the Wodonga hospital would begin in July.

That concerned Victoria's Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier who attended the meeting along with Benambra MP Bill Tilley and Indi MP Helen Haines.

"The community but also those people that work at that site need to understand exactly the intentions of what the government plans to do with the Wodonga site," Ms Crozier said.

"There was a lot of uncertainty tonight and very concerning messages coming out."

The meeting also attracted Wodonga mayor Ron Mildren and his council colleagues Olga Quilty, Libby Hall, Danny Lowe and Danny Chamberlain, while Albury deputy mayor Steve Bowen and his fellow councillor Jess Kellahan attended.

Albury MP Justin Clancy did not attend because of a clashing engagement.

Earlier on Tuesday he attacked critics of the plan to upgrade Albury hospital.

"There are those....who are absolutely sowing seeds of discord and using negativity and using their end as a way of justifying their means, prepared to use personal attack, prepared to trample on, to traumatise our community," Mr Clancy said.

"We need to say in that regard...we need to refocus on the investment that is being made, a decision that two health departments have come together to make, to make a significant effort by both states that will drive transformative, positive outcomes for our community."

Mr Clancy, who is facing voters this month, then suggested agitators should be concerned "they don't reap the whirlwind, whether that be delays, whether that be loss of funding".

To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: