Victoria failing Border with health attitude: Wodonga councillor

Danny Chamberlain was speaking at this week's council meeting during debate over the city's advocacy priorities list which has a new Border hospital at No.1.

He referenced an article in The Border Mail in May where a spokesman for the Victorian Health Minster said the state's planned funding for Albury hospital's upgrade was not listed in budget papers because the project was being steered by NSW and would emerge as a grant in that state's budget.

"I would suggest, as we've gone through our budget ourselves, any grants that we're giving to anybody would need to be in the budget in any case, because it's money that's going out," Cr Chamberlain said.

"Maybe the question needs to be clarified.

"I think if it is done as a grant, to hand it over to the NSW government is basically abrogating the responsibility of the Victorian government towards the health outcomes around Albury-Wodonga.

"I think that's inappropriate.

"The Victorian state government runs the hospital in Albury-Wodonga and I think we have a right to expect them to have more input into what happens there."

Cr Chamberlain noted Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, who was raised in the Wodonga area, continued to snub the council's correspondence to her.

"We've been requesting obviously and advocating for the Health Minister to come and talk to us, so far we've heard nothing but crickets," he said.

A purpose-built single-site hospital is one of four items on the council's advocacy list that is categorised as high value and high complexity.

The other three are housing, and the need to lobby for more diverse accommodation such as eco villages and tiny houses, and the development of Junction Place and advanced manufacturing.

The last mentioned involves the pursuit of new investment to help manufacturers adopt new technology, boost productivity and reinforce Border supply chains.

Improvements to the city's road system are rated as a medium-term priority.

They involve seeking $2.3 million to upgrade the water tower roundabout at the southern end of High Street and $710,000 for improving the intersection of High and Huon streets with increased traffic to Sumsion Gardens cited as a trigger for the work.

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