Victorian Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan on new hospital push

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan used a media conference in Wodonga on Thursday to talk up current emergency department works happening at Albury when asked about the council's ongoing efforts.

She was speaking after 11 mayors from across the southern Riverina and North East Victoria attended a council-organised forum on Wednesday aimed at winning regional support for its position.

Ms Allan was asked if the councils were "wasting their time" and responded she would not tell municipalities "what they can and can't advocate for, because they have the opportunity to make those decisions for themselves".

"But what I would say to all of those local councils and to the Wodonga mayor is that there is a great expansion of the Albury-Wodonga hospital happening right now, that is an investment that is coming into this community right now," Ms Allan said.

"It's also too recognising that we've got a terrific healthcare workforce working right now in the Albury Wodonga hospital that serve their local community brilliantly by providing that round-the-clock healthcare and we're backing that in, with both the expansion works at the hospital, supported by both the Victorian and NSW governments, and the other significant investments we're making in both workforce and GP access across the broader North East community."

Asked if her focus on the current investment at Albury hospital precluded a new hospital, Ms Allan spoke about the staff and their great care and added they were being supported by investment in "expanded facilities" to take pressure off the emergency department.

In response to the Border Medical Association having supported a new hospital, Ms Allan said "I also know that there are many local clinicians that are big supporters of the work that is going on right now".

"It's about getting on and doing this work right now in terms of the investments we're making," she said.

Asked about her colleague, Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas not responding to Wodonga Council and if she would be encouraging her colleague to meet city representatives, Ms Allan prefaced her answer by saying the minister had "long historic connections to the Wodonga community, as someone who was proud to grow up in the North East".

"The Minister for Health is very focused on delivering the expansion that we've talked about right now and she has many conversations with many people in the local community about what are the health needs of Wodonga and the broader North East community," Ms Allan said.

Asked what she would like to happen with Wodonga hospital when the expansion of Albury hospital is complete, Ms Allan said that was a matter for Ms Thomas.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has previously said "silly games" were being played in relation to the Albury hospital upgrade after being asked about Wodonga Council's concerns.

The Deputy Premier was speaking at the inaugural Victorian Bush Summit organised by media company News Corp and held at The Cube in Wodonga.

The event was televised national on Sky News Regional television channel.

Wodonga mayor Ron Mildren used his welcome to tell the audience how the Twin Cities are often left in a black hole.

"In the eyes of government and metropolitan populations we're too far north to really be part of Victoria and too far south to be part of NSW and in that context (will) always never be seen as one community, which we are one community," Cr Mildren said.

He also attacked the distribution of public spending.

"The institutionalisation of government funding for service delivery through not-for-profit and private entities is contributing to perpetuation of the negatives and motivation of tick-the-box approaches to solving problems," Cr Mildren said.

"As to fix the problem would be to put themselves out of a job.

"This in turn leads to a focus on the negative statistics that support the continued need for their service delivery, (and) their funding models are dependent on facts and figures that portray a negative image that pulls us down, rather than lifts up.

"It results in resources that are needed for productive infrastructure being lost to perpetual fixes."

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