A multi-million dollar rebuild of Nolan House is a sure thing according to Albury MP Greg Aplin.
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Mr Aplin put a figure on what the government was willing to provide to the project at Albury Wodonga Health’s cardiac cath lab opening on Friday.
“Among investments from the NSW state government are the $30 million upgrade for Albury Hospital’s ED, (and) a further $20 million-plus for the recently-announced rebuild for the region’s acute mental health facility,” he said.
Last month’s budget revealed an an unspecified amount of funding to plan for upgrades at Nolan.
Asked about the $20 million referenced in his address, Mr Aplin said it was a “working figure” but “the money is there”.
“It can’t be officially released because the planning hasn’t determined what’s required,” he said.
“The government is prepared to see a rebuild of the facility – I can’t see how you can have it onsite, because you’ve got to continue the service, (but) it’s up to the hospital to determine.
“The government wants to make it possible and we’ll be looking for contributions from Victoria as required.”
Victorian Mental Health Minister Martin Foley was asked about Nolan House at last week’s Ovens Murray Regional Assembly and said funding discrepancies were “the real killer of that project”.
“Both NSW and Victoria have had some pretty savage cuts to our respective health budgets,” he said.
Federal Health Minister Greg hunt rejected Mr Foley’s comments as “deliberately and dishonestly false”.
“As part of the National Health Agreement … Victorian hospital funding would increase from $24 billion in the five years to 2019-20, to more than $31 billion in the five years to 2024-25,” he said.
“Right now, the Victorian government is turning their back on $7 billion in additional public hospital funding.”
Mr Aplin also expressed “dismay” at Mr Foley’s comments.
“It appears to me in the light of perhaps some political campaigning he’s seeking to distract from the fact Victoria has not committed funding,” he said.
A $1 million upgrade to Nolan House has been jointly funded by both state governments, with construction to be completed by early 2019.
Mr Foley said the state government knew how important mental health was.
“That’s why this year’s Budget delivered a record $705 million investment in community and acute mental health services,” he said.
The Victorian government has raised concerns about the proposed Heads of Agreement for the National Health Reform Agreement 2020/21 to 2024/25, stating there will be a cap to the growth for hospitals of 6.5 per cent.
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