Victorian opposition health spokesperson Georgie Crozier voices concerns during Wodonga visit

Ms Crozier said the Victorian Liberals supported the need for a new hospital, but a plan on how it will be paid for remains up in the air.

During her visit to Wodonga on Tuesday, Ms Crozier claimed $30 million passed onto Victoria from the NSW government for a new emergency department for Albury Wodonga Health remained in limbo.

"There's got to be some responsibility between both governments, but we need to see why that money that has been given by the NSW government to Victoria hasn't been put in place to build that critical infrastructure," Ms Crozier said.

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"We've got to work together collectively as the three governments involved. Clearly there are some issues around these agreements and the money that is coming across."

Ms Crozier said no progress could be made until the masterplan for a new hospital was presented by the Victorian government.

"It was meant to be released months ago yet the Andrews government is sitting on it. I don't know why they are sitting on this critical bit of information that would tell the community what the needs will be," she added.

Ms Crozier said it would be more straightforward if the same government was in office in both NSW and Victoria, but it shouldn't be the defining factor.

Indi MP Helen Haines last month asked the federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to commit $300 million to building a new hospital for Albury-Wodonga during question time.

"It's all very well for the independents to call on money, but there's a lot of planning and a lot of other action that needs to be understood," Ms Crozier said.

"It doesn't matter which government is in power, they should be working for the community, not the other way around.

"What is frustrating for us is even though we ask these questions, they're never answered and we don't get that feedback from the government and the community then loses out."

Benambra MP Bill Tilley and Ms Crozier met with the Border Medical Association, Albury MP Justin Clancy, Dr Haines and the AWH board yesterday to get a grasp on the dire need for a new hospital.

It was revealed between 3500 and 5500 people were on elective surgery wait lists and the Border health services didn't have the beds to accommodate them.

"The bureaucrats need to start pulling their socks up and start working towards this as well because these are some of the people who live in our community and say it's too hard and they step away, while the bureaucrats in Sydney and Melbourne won't talk to each other," Mr Tilley added.

He said AWH revealed a record 150 people presented to the emergency department on Boxing Day in 2019, but that figure had been reached three times in the past month due to elective surgery delays.

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