IDENTIFYING a site for a replacement Albury-Wodonga public hospital is a high priority for re-elected member for Benambra Bill Tilley in his next four years in the Victorian parliament.
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Health facilities and funding was the major discussion point of the campaign which officially concluded on Monday with the declaration of the poll in Benambra showing Mr Tilley won on preferences by 2029 votes from independent Jacqui Hawkins.
The Liberal said none of the doctors who signed the letter had approached him to voice their concerns on the issues they raised.
He went one step further and questioned the objectivity of one of the signatories, Dr Pieter Mourik, who supported another independent in the election, Jenny O’Connor.
“One of those particular signatories was seen wearing a t-shirt for another candidate, handed out how to vote cards and was campaigning,” Mr Tilley said.
“Pieter Mourik has been a practitioner, he has since retired and may not be privy to that information he was making suggestions of.
“But I am happy to speak to Pieter any time he wants to walk in the office or make an appointment.”
“If those concerns are legitimate and the Victorian and federal governments need to prop up some additional funding I will be seeking that out,” he said.
“(But) some of those other investments talked about might have had a higher priority than Albury Wodonga and that is why they are in the program earlier.
“I certainly think the future planning for a greenfield site is a very important step forward and we should be looking at the possibility of land banking some work there.”
Dr Mourik said he wasn’t interested in speaking to Mr Tilley.
“It’s a waste of time going to speak to him because he’s not up to it,” he said.
“He is out of touch with the community and for him to single me out personally, I don’t give a damn.”
But he acknowledged the challenge of being in opposition and Labor returned with a bigger majority when it came to securing funding for other infrastructure needs.
“We don’t want just bread crumbs,” he said.