Mayors representing local councils in the Albury Wodonga Health catchment zone have joined forces to advocate for a new hospital on a new site, marking a unified and unprecedented commitment to addressing the growing healthcare needs of the region.
The meeting, held at Wodonga Council and chaired by Wodonga Council's Mayor Cr Michael Gobel, was the first meeting of the councils since the recent local government elections in New South Wales and Victoria.
The participating councils included Wodonga Council, AlburyCity, Alpine Shire, Indigo Shire, Mansfield, Berrigan Shire, Federation Council, Greater Hume, Edward River, Towong Shire and Snowy Valleys.
Cr Gobel emphasised the significance of the meeting in aligning the councils around a common vision for the region's healthcare future.
"The recent local government elections in both states made clear that the hospital is a priority for communities on both sides of the Border and its surrounds," he said.
"Residents of our communities have made it clear - they want a new hospital and a well-resourced and fully integrated cross border health service that will sufficiently cater to our growing population.
"Our voices are loudest when banded together and, for the first time, we have a range of regional councils saying the same thing - we need a new hospital on a new site.
"It is my sincere hope that the state and federal levels of government will listen to this call from the community."
At the conclusion of the meeting, a series of actions were agreed upon to ensure progress continued.
A key outcome was to request an urgent meeting between the Mayors of the councils present at Monday's meeting and the New South Wales and Victorian Premiers.
An agreement was also made to draft a joint resolution for each council to consider. This resolution will call for the current health region to be split into two Local Health Service Networks (LHSNs); Ovens Murray and Goulburn Valley, with Albury Wodonga Health the designated LHSN for Ovens Murray.
This is in contrast to the Health Services Plan released by the Victorian Government in August of this year, which proposed reconfiguring the regional healthcare services into five networks, with Albury Wodonga considered part of a larger Hume network.
AlburyCity Mayor, Cr Kevin Mack, endorsed the alignment of participating councils in strongly advocating for a new hospital on a new site to meet the region's healthcare needs.
"Albury is very excited to be working with all our councils and communities to enable advocacy for a greenfield single-site hospital for our region," said Mayor Mack.
"This opportunity cannot be over-emphasised as it represents a unified position for our region and puts the community first, as they have clearly stated that a greenfield single-site hospital development is their priority.
"We are so much stronger together and we need to push as hard as we can for what is needed now and into the future - sustainable long-term healthcare solutions for our growing community."
Looking ahead, a more comprehensive report will be tabled for consideration at the councils' 2025 meetings, reaffirming their united call for a new hospital on a new site.
The councils also pledged to maintain their advocacy for the necessary funding for a new hospital and to achieve the objectives outlined in the Albury Wodonga Health 2021 Clinical Services Plan.
While Cr Gobel acknowledged the progress made, he stressed the urgency of addressing the immediate pressures on the region's existing healthcare services.
"In the interim, we will continue to call on the Victorian government to provide additional resources to ensure our current hospital can adequately service the needs of our community', he said.
"This includes funding for additional beds, modular wards and theatres."
This collaborative effort by these councils underscores their commitment to securing the best health outcomes for their residents.
"The Albury Wodonga Health Clinical Services Plan 2021 forecasted population growth of nearly 30,000 people by 2040 and a doubling of emergency department presentations to 150,000," said Cr Gobel.
"It is abundantly clear to those who use the region's health service that it is under enormous pressure.
"I thank my fellow Mayors for joining us in calling for what our community needs - a new hospital on a new site."
