Border mayors have discussed a new Albury-Wodonga hospital with a federal minister in Canberra.
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Kylie King (Albury), Ron Mildren (Wodonga), Pat Bourke (Federation) and Sophie Price (Indigo) saw Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health Emma McBride at Parliament House on Friday, July 5.
The 20-minute session was arranged through liaison with Indi MP Helen Haines and Farrer MP Sussan Ley after Wodonga Council's health forum in March.
Dr Haines, who was also party to the meeting along with Wodonga Council chief executive Matthew Hyde and acting Albury Council chief executive Tracey Squire, explained its basis.
"The purpose of the meeting was to make the case for a single-site hospital on the Border and to explain the difficulties we're experiencing and to ask the federal government to play a role," Dr Haines said.
She said the expectation was that Ms McBride would report the meeting to federal Health Minister Mark Butler with hope of federal intervention given the NSW and Victorian governments' unwillingness to consider a new hospital site.
Cr Mildren said: "We just basically gave a whole lot of information as to what's going on and offered possible courses to a solution and that was about it."
The meeting came ahead of Better Border Health's hospital forum at The Cube in Wodonga from 3pm to 5pm on Sunday, July 7 which will call for a pause to the planned Albury hospital upgrade.
The event will not be attended by key Albury figures with mayor Kylie King, NSW MP Justin Clancy and federal MP Sussan Ley all absent along with Greens politician Amanda Cohn.
Cr King declined to say why she was not going, but stated her council's position was to advocate for investment in health rather than "pause what has already been acknowledged as a critical project".
Mr Clancy has family commitments and Ms Ley will be involved in duties relating to her being deputy federal Liberal Party leader.
Dr Cohn said a prior engagement took precedence.
"This event has my complete support and I'm disappointed I can't be there to join the discussion about the challenges facing our community's health services," Dr Cohn said.
"Unfortunately I have speaking commitments at a different event that was scheduled several months ago.
"I have no doubt I'll be at many more of Better Border Health's events in the future."
Better Border Health director Michelle Cowan said it was "very disappointing" Cr King was not attending.
"Invitations had been sent out to all the councillors and mayors and CEOs of all the relevant local government areas and they had plenty of warning and we thought it would be so important they would put aside other commitments to attend, particularly the Albury mayor and we hope she has a change of heart," Ms Cowan said.
Sunday's event will be live streamed with details available through The Cube's Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Business Wodonga has come out in support of a new hospital, with chief executive Graham Jenkin saying building on an existing site was inadequate.
"While we acknowledge the potential of a brownfield site for the new hospital, we firmly believe that additional funds would be better invested in a greenfield site," Mr Jenkin said.
"A greenfield site offers the best opportunity to develop a state-of-the-art facility that can accommodate future growth and provide comprehensive healthcare services for the Albury-Wodonga community."
