This is the key, we've been led to believe, to the hopes of all those advocating for a new greenfield site to service our Border community into the decades ahead.

The plan itself has been an elusive beast.

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The only sightings, we understand, have been made on a totally on a need-to-know basis.

What that means is this counts out fairly much everybody on the Border - that is, everyone in this community with a vested interest in securing the future public health needs of our region.

The Victorian government has been allowed, for far too long, to continue to get away with hiding around corners, to use the excuse of, in effect, in-house secrecy to avoid any accountability or transparency.

In the meantime, Albury Wodonga Health somehow continues to lurch forward, the enormous, talented efforts of its staff let down by the lack of funding love from the Victorian authorities.

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Surely though the point has been reached where this "master plan" needs to be called out.

There is no doubt it exists and we understand that its latest, third version even goes as far as the single new hospital scenario that all accept is the only viable, fit-for-purpose way forward.

The fact is it's being held up for any number of reasons that the government in Victoria can pull out of its magic bag of political tricks to even further stall its process.

One of those has been the need, supposedly, for Albury Wodonga Health to apply "due diligence" on several issues pertaining to the plan.

But while that happens, time marches on and nothing gets done.

OUR SAY - GIVE US A NEW HOSPITAL:

Indeed, the master plan - for the Border community that relies so heavily on it coming to fruition - could be more aptly described as a masterstroke of political obfuscation.

It has become the device for delay, the vehicle for finger pointing, when all that needs to be done is a commitment made.

All that is needed is for any government, of any political persuasion, to say yes, Albury-Wodonga desperately needs a new hospital and we will commit to making that happen.

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