Community leaders in Albury Wodonga have responded with mixed feelings to the Victorian Liberal party's pledge of an additional $100 million towards the redevelopment of Albury Hospital, contingent on winning the November state election. This funding would add 50 new beds, a helipad, and expand youth mental health services at the current site, which already has committed $558 million from various governments. However, Better Border Health chair Stan Stavros expressed concern that this might extend the redevelopment process indefinitely, favoring instead a greenfield build for long-term needs. Liberal candidate Steve Martin countered that the immediate need for additional beds outweighs delays and emphasized plans to conduct feasibility studies soon after an election win.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Community leaders in Albury Wodonga have mixed reactions to the Victorian Liberal party’s pledge of an additional $100 million towards the redevelopment of Albury Hospital. This funding, contingent on a Coalition victory in November's state election, would complement existing $558 million from federal and state governments, providing 50 new beds, a multistorey car park, and improved clinical services including a helipad, paediatric ward, and operating theatres.
The Better Border Health chair, Stan Stavros, however, worries that the pledge might prolong development at the current site rather than encouraging construction of a new greenfield facility. The Coalition plans to also include specialist youth acute mental health beds within the hospital’s overall expansion plan.
Written for “Australian Hospital Funding” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
In short:
Albury Wodonga community leaders have delivered a mixed reception to the Victorian Liberal party's additional $100 million funding pledge towards the Albury Hospital redevelopment.
asserted
leaders → deliver → redevelopment
The funds, which would go to the project if the Coalition wins the November state election, would provide 50 new beds, a helipad, a new multistorey car park and more acute youth mental health beds.
asserted
Coalition → go → beds
Better Border Health chair Stan Stavros is concerned the pledge could lead to "Legoland for decades" at the existing site taking the focus from a new greenfield build.
uncertain
pledge → concern → build
There has been a mixed reaction from community leaders after the Victorian opposition pledged an extra $100 million of funding towards the Albury Hospital redevelopment if they win the November state election.
asserted
they → pledge → election
The investment pledge, coming on top of the existing $558 million of federal, New South Wales and Victorian government funding, would provide 50 more beds, a multistorey car park and a full fit-out of the clinical services building including a helipad, paediatric ward and operating theatres.
asserted
pledge → come → helipad
The Coalition said it would fund the provision of specialist youth acute mental health beds within the hospital's mental health unit.
asserted
it → say → unit
Liberal candidate for Benambra Steve Martin said the commitment would also fund a health infrastructure feasibility study to determine whether long-term demand could be met over the next 25 years at the current 8 hectare Albury site or required a new location.
"Immediately on being elected we'll be starting a feasibility study which will identify a preferred greenfield site and do a proper benefit cost assessment of continuing develop at the Albury site or starting on a new greenfield site," he said.
uncertain
he → say → site
He said the issue with stopping the current redevelopment now was just how long it would take to deliver new beds at the site.
asserted
it → say → site
"Everywhere I go I hear the needs are now and we need to be able to deliver something that will cater to our community as it needs now, but we're also mindful we need to start already preparing for what's next,"he said.
asserted
what → go → community
He said the party had not taken lightly its change in approach to the issue.
asserted
party → say → issue
Every day we're seeing 40 to 70 beds short, and this will deliver new beds within two to three years," Mr Martin said.
asserted
Martin → see → years
He also confirmed the party would commit to delivering the newly promised services even if the cost rose above the $100 million budgeted figure.
asserted
cost → confirm → figure
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said the commitment was to provide "quality healthcare" for the community while also ensuring a "real plan" for the years to come.
asserted
commitment → say → years
"An additional $100 million for Albury Wodonga Health means more beds, greater access, better clinical services and a real plan for the future health needs of this growing community,"she said.
asserted
million → mean → community,"she
Legoland for decades'
Better Border Health director Stan Stavros said he was "definitely appreciative" of the announcement and welcomed the "immediate relief" promised by delivering beds in modular wards.
asserted
he → say → wards
"This is something the clinicians, the doctors and the nurses have been calling for, for about five to six years," he said.
asserted
he → call → years
However, he said more was needed.
asserted
more → say → ?
"I think it should be extended to also providing … modular operating theatres which are quite a practical way of providing immediate relief over a number of years," he said.
asserted
he → think → years
While welcoming the "good bits" of the announcement, he also acknowledged there were some "bits we don't like", particularly around investing even more money into an existing brownfield site instead of a greenfield one.
asserted
we → welcome → site
"The investment of funds into what we consider to be a compromised site, it would just subject us to Legoland for decades,"he said.
asserted
it → consider → decades,"he
He said even with the extra $100 million on top of the $558 million Albury Hospital Redevelopment, the money being spent on the hospital per capita in the region was nowhere near that being spent elsewhere.
asserted
money → say → that
"On a per person basis based on our population size, we're getting nothing," he said.
asserted
he → base → nothing
"That's still going to be … well and truly under two-thirds of what other communities are getting," he said.
asserted
he → go → what
Wodonga Mayor and chair of the Alliance of Councils for Albury Wodonga Region Health Services Michael Gobel also had a "nuanced" response.
asserted
Gobel → have → response
Cr Gobel welcomed the commitment to a feasibility study to compare brownfield and greenfield sites, but was concerned putting a further $100 million into the brownfield could "jeopardise" the business case for a new site.
uncertain
putting → welcome → site
He also questioned whether spending $658 million on the brownfield was a "good use of taxpayers' money".
asserted
spending → question → money
He did however welcome the Liberal's commitment to the scope, even if the budget exceeded $100 million.
asserted
budget → welcome → million
Meanwhile, Victorian Premier Ben Carroll criticised the announcement as "desperate politics" and said the Liberals were untrustworthy when pledging money to hospitals.
asserted
Liberals → criticise → hospitals
"Don't listen to what they're saying.
asserted
they → listen → what
Look at what their actions have been.
asserted
actions → look → ?
They've closed hospitals,"he said.
asserted
They → close → hospitals,"he
"Labor has invested over half a billion dollars to get this hospital off the ground and redeveloped, and we'll continue to work with the Labor government in Canberra."
asserted
we → invest → Canberra
The Aporia