It has been inevitable for years that a crunch-time was going to hit, and hit hard.

Thanks to successive failures by government - reflecting a depressingly endemic political culture to say nothing of substance, then do nothing - this is that time.

N OTHER NEWS:

Albury-Wodonga is a major regional Australian city of 100,000 people.

The wider region is edging close to 300,000. But despite that, we don't get anywhere near an adequate level of funding.

We should not be surprised that our federal government, which has take unashamed pork-barrelling to new, nose-bleeding heights, continues to ignore the facts on funding our health system.

It will hide behind the mantra of "it's the states' job".

But it is also clear the Commonwealth can step in when the political winds are blowing, making every seat in the imminent federal election of great strategic significance.

At a state level, Labor and the Liberal/Nationals' ineptitude in failing to deliver for the Border is scandalous.

MORE OPINION

Albury Wodonga Health was formed to better deliver our region's needs, with recurrent funding through Victoria and with NSW continuing to provide money for capital works.

Still, AWH has done a magnificent job with severe budgetary restrictions, highlighting the states' substantial shortfall

The argument that no government can keep up with the ever-growing public health needs is a Furphy when one regional health service, such as Bendigo or Ballarat, is blatantly favoured over another.

Albury Wodonga Health is in dire straits.

The lack of space is suffocating, its infrastructure is crumbling.

Its hospitals are antiquated, even the Albury site established in the early 1990s.

It is hard to fathom why the state governments cannot work together to fix our ailing system.

OUR SAY - GIVE US A NEW HOSPITAL:

The answers are there; the political will is not. We're sorry, Mr Andrews, your government has failed. And Mr Perrottet, it's an F-minus for you, too.

We need a new hospital. We need all levels of government to help make this a reality.

Politicians might try to convince our community they have no role or point the finger at each other, but we see through and condemn such lame excuses.

Be warned, the fight has only just begun.