Albury Council election candidate argues new Border public hospital should be on former industrial land

It is the brainchild of Albury Council candidate Andrew Boyd Barber.

He said the site, bordered to the north by Harris Farm Markets and the railway to the east, was central and in easy reach of the train station for those travelling from places such as Culcairn.

"This land has sat empty for too long," Mr Barber said referencing the nine years since the mill was demolished.

"It would be short-sighted to sell off for more big-box retail.

"It is too strategic to sell to a developer."

Albury Council announced in February 2019 it had bought the site but was negotiating for other nearby parcels of land before revealing the purchase price.

Mr Barber noted the 1.2ha size was comparable to the existing hospital block.

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"Whilst the site is not much more area than the existing Albury Base we are seeing examples in many similar-sized cities for multi-level hospitals in central locations," he said referring to Hobart and Dunedin.

"We need to go up, not out for our new hospital."

A seven-storey building, equating to 25-metre, could be built on the Young Street land under planning rules.

Meanwhile, Albury Labor councillor Darren Cameron is vowing to push for a weekly red-lid bin collection if he is re-elected.

"Albury City has ample space for landfill going forward and the current system results in people either dumping waste or mixing it in to the other bins, defeating the purpose of the three-bin system," he said.

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