News

Funding for Northeast Health Wangaratta

Friday 21 April 2017

Nationals Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy today congratulated Northeast Health Wangaratta on being awarded $15.2 million for stage one of its redevelopment plan.

Mr McCurdy said although long-awaited the funding is a fantastic result for the hospital and the community.

“I met with the Health Minister immediately after she was elected to her role back in 2015 and raised the importance of this funding for the Wangaratta hospital,” Mr McCurdy said.

“Back then she told me she would prioritise election commitments first and then Northeast Health Wangaratta would be considered.

“I am pleased the Minister honoured the undertaking she made to me with the funding allocation.”

The $15.2 million is delivered through the first round of the $200 million Regional Health Infrastructure Fund.

“Our region needs and deserves its fair share of hospital capital funding and this is outstanding for the health needs of our community,” Mr McCurdy said.

“We all deserve quality health services, whether we live in the city or the country, so it’s important regional areas are provided with first-class facilities.

“Hospital chief executive Margaret Bennett, the board and the 1200 staff at the hospital do an incredible job and deserve to be provided with quality facilities to support them in delivering the best possible standard of health care.”

Mr McCurdy said the $15.2 million was for stage one of a $21 million, two-stage redevelopment which would service the increasing needs of the people within the hospital’s catchment.

“This redevelopment will provide Northeast Health with the capacity to continue to meet the referral demand from across north-east Victoria,” he said.

“Northeast Health Wangaratta is committed to providing health care to more than 90,000 people across our region so this funding is such welcome news to all of those people.”

Mr McCurdy said he was delighted with the result that he advocated for over many years and will continue to lobby for health funding across the Ovens Valley electorate.