Community
21 March, 2024
Labor again refuses to fund hospital redevelopment
THE Victorian Government has again denied funding to begin the long-awaited redevelopment of the Mortlake Community Health Centre, but Terang and Mortlake Health Service (TMHS) has vowed to continue its advocacy.
TMHS board chair Ben Dennis said the dedicated health service staff shared the community’s frustrations after the State Government again shut down any hopes of receiving funding to begin the redevelopment.
The health service’s latest funding setback came in January 2024 when the Victorian Health Building Authority’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund (RHIF) said the project would again not receive funding “due to insufficient funds”.
Mr Dennis said there was a clear need for the new state-of-the-art facility, and assured residents the redevelopment remained a strong priority for the health service.
“The board of TMHS continues to lobby for this vital upgrade,” he said.
“We are cognisant of the pressures on the health dollar but see this as our responsibility to keep lobbying for.
“We understand the frustrations of the Mortlake community and we share in them.
“Please be assured that behind the scenes, the executive team is continuing to advocate on behalf of the Mortlake community.”
TMHS chief executive officer Julia Ogdin said the service had been actively lobbying since 2017 to have the aging Mortlake Community Health Centre, constructed in 1957, rebuilt to meet today’s consumer’s needs.
The State Government has yet to make a firm commitment to deliver the full funding required to begin construction of the redevelopment, despite rising maintenance costs and outdated facilities increasing pressure on the service.
This includes roof maintenance works which were scheduled earlier this year after the hospital roof began to leak.
Ms Ogdin said TMHS had submitted a number of applications to the Victorian RHIF without success, but it remained committed and “determined as ever” for the community health centre to become a reality.
She said since 2017 the TMHS board and executive had worked tirelessly in its bid for funding to provide the Mortlake community with “a contemporary and functional community health services centre”, and would continue to do so.
The RHIF is designed to provide vital government funding to rural and regional health services and agencies across Victoria, ensuring the services can continue to provide safe and efficient care to local communities.
As Western District Newspapers has previously reported, TMHS received $400,000 of RHIF funding in 2022-23 to begin schematic designs for the new facility, which were developed in conjunction with renowned Melbourne-based health architects Billard Leece Partnership.
While the funding was a welcome step in the process, it took years of advocacy to receive the tick of approval from the State Government.
However, Western District Newspapers revealed in 2022 the Liberal-National Coalition had vowed to fully fund the $6.65 million upgrade its Mortlake campus if elected.
Ms Ogdin said it had been a disappointing wait, but said the TMHS board and executive would not be deterred from the vision of brining the Mortlake community the health care facility it deserves.
“Although we have had great disappointment in relation to this project on a number of occasions, the health service’s board and executive have not lost sight of the vision to provide contemporary, fit-for-purpose health care facilities to the Mortlake community,” she said.
“We remain as passionate and determined as ever to see this through.”