Albury Wodonga Health chairman outlines what $558 million deal will mean for planned start date

Matt Burke said having construction of the $558 million expansion of Albury hospital begin in 2024 was a big change.

"It's brought us forward by three years, the earliest previous starting date was 2027," Mr Burke said.

That is now the date a new clinical services building, announced last week, is due to be completed.

Mr Burke added it also meant there would no need for a business case, which had been floated as necessary, in addition to the contentious master plan for future Border hospital needs.

Asked last week if the master plan, which was subject to a Freedom of Information bid by Farrer MP Sussan Ley, would be released, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said it was not his call.

"(The) master plan basically belongs to Albury Wodonga Health so they'll need to make a judgement about that," Mr Andrews said.

"They've got a board, they're properly empowered to do their work and I'll perhaps leave that to them."

However, Mr Burke said the plan was controlled by Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas.

"I'm not sure why he (Mr Andrews) said that," Mr Burke said.

"We're still tied to commercial in confidence.

"It's definitely not our document, it's definitely Minister Thomas' document."

Mr Burke said he hoped an executive summary of the plan may emerge, pending talks with the government.

Last week he said a planning group deemed a new site for a Border hospital was better than an upgrade.

Now Mr Burke has pointed to what the master plan canvassed.

"The master plan identified a range of high-level options to deliver a single site hospital that would meet the future healthcare needs of our region, from multi-stage redevelopments on existing sites, brownfield solutions, through to greenfield options," Mr Burke said.

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The states plan to fund three of five stages and their premiers downplayed the need for federal funding.

Indi MP Helen Haines has pushed for a Commonwealth contribution and believes its cash may still be required.

"What we've got funded is stages one, two and three - four and five is yet to come," Dr Haines said.

"There's no money on the table for that.

"I think there's plenty of opportunity for the federal government to get involved with our health service on the Border and I will be continuing to call for that.

"There's many, many opportunities to come."

Meanwhile, Border medico David Rutherford has tweeted on the upgrade move.

He welcomed the states collaborating but noted the first stages simply united the Twin Cities hospitals.

"The things that will make AWH world class and a destination for regional health care are education and research hubs and co-location of a private hospital," Dr Rutherford wrote.

He raised concerns about bed numbers and stated "in my own opinion the brownfield option was ordained from the very start".

"This of course would be denied by the powers that be," Dr Rutherford wrote before adding when the health department 'says "we consulted clinicians", they often actually mean "we informed clinicians"'.

The Albury kidney specialist also flagged his preferred hospital result.

"I personally thought that a greenfield hospital near the freeway in Wodonga would have been the best outcome, but naturally I'm aware of pros and cons, and that this is a highly emotive discussion which I am not interested in having again," Dr Rutherford opined.

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