While Albury and Wodonga have separate urban planning documents and a joint strategic document (Two Cities One Community), there is no single spatial plan that combines everything and sets an ambitious future for the region.

As a major employer and significant investment, a hospital located in the right place could reinvigorate and enhance its surroundings.

When Albury Wodonga builds a new hospital we need to ensure that we not only get it right, but that it becomes viable and sustainable for future generations, which comes about by forward planning. This is too huge an opportunity to make mistakes.

In my view, as an urban designer, the right location will be within a CBD, close to key public transport routes and embedded in quality open space.

Neither of the existing hospital campuses meet these criteria.

The suggestion by Wodonga mayor Kevin Poulton for Huon Street has some merit, but so too could land at Development Victoria's Junction Place (South, Smythe and Watson Streets).

In Albury, ideal sites could include the rail land (between Dean and Wilson streets) or the council's depot site on Wodonga Place (Hume to Smollett Street).

Prior to any of these locations being selected, we need an ambitious cross-border spatial plan to make sure we get the foundations right.

MORE COMMENT

Justin Clancy will soon be voting on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill on behalf of Albury residents, yet he hasn't publicly reached out to the community to find out what the people he represents want.

Will his religious ideology influence how he votes?

It is time Mr Clancy spoke publicly on his position.

I must say, since Wodonga mayor Kevin Poulton became a councillor, his suggestion for a place for a new Border hospital is the most sense he has spoken.

Wodonga's present hospital is a shell of its former self (I do not question staff in that comment) - almost everything is transferred to Albury.

The land on Bandiana Link is perfect when you not only consider the proximity to both cities, but to where ambulance services are stationed.

The time for talking is well and truly over. It is past time for action.

When Australians are crying out for real, effective leadership from our politicians we have Tim Quilty being too self absorbed and petulant to show evidence of his vaccination status (The Border Mail, Saturday October 15).

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