Coalition pledges $350 million to finish stalled Wonthaggi Hospital

A LIBERAL and Nationals government would spend $350 million to finish the Wonthaggi Hospital redevelopment, seizing on a stalled Labor promise the Coalition says has gone nowhere in four years.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson made the commitment outside the hospital on Tuesday, pledging to deliver stages two and three within the Coalition’s first term if it wins the November election.

“This is a critical upgrade for the local residents here on the Bass Coast, a growing community, one of the fastest growing communities in Victoria,” Ms Wilson said.

“They desperately need healthcare services that will provide that support to them and their families.”

The money would deliver up to 64 additional beds across two new wards, a new maternity ward, and outpatient services including dialysis and chemotherapy, along with an expansion of radiology and treatment facilities.

Ms Wilson said the Coalition would begin work immediately on winning government.

“We’re absolutely determined to see that funding flow immediately upon coming to government, so we want to see construction work underway,” she said.

“What we’ve seen from the Labor government is a broken promise, big commitments made before an election and then failure to deliver after an election. That is not what we’re going to do.”

The pledge targets a promise that has hung over Bass since the last campaign. Then premier Daniel Andrews travelled to Wonthaggi weeks out from the 2022 poll and promised $290 million for stages two and three, a commitment that helped return State Bass MP Jordan Crugnale by just 202 votes in Victoria’s most marginal seat.

Labor set a completion date of 2027 for the redevelopment. Nearly four years on, no construction funding has been committed and that deadline is now all but impossible.

Emergency department demand at the hospital rose by 27 per cent between 2019-20 and 2024-25, while the proportion of patients seen on time fell from 86 per cent to 70 per cent.

The State Government’s 2026-27 budget, handed down in May, carried no construction money for either the Wonthaggi upgrade or a new West Gippsland Hospital. State Nationals MP Melina Bath said the budget set aside just $3.69 million for the two projects, or 5.6 per cent of what was promised, and described the combined $965 million in pre-election commitments as effectively abandoned.

In April, the government committed $65 million for the next phase of work across Bass Coast and West Gippsland, including a new pharmacy, pathology clinic and medical imaging suite at Wonthaggi.

State Bass MP Jordan Crugnale, who is not recontesting in November, has repeatedly cast that money as the first instalment of the wider redevelopment.

“The upgrades at Wonthaggi Hospital are part of our stage two redevelopment commitment and mean even more specialist services and healthcare can be delivered locally,” Ms Crugnale said.

Ms Crugnale has previously rejected suggestions the promise had been dropped, saying planning funding was secured in earlier budgets.

“Funding to plan the Wonthaggi Hospital expansion was secured in previous budgets, and I continue to push for early works funding to fit out the existing shell spaces for services including maternity, diagnostics and pharmacy,” she said.

“I make constant representations to the Minister for Health Infrastructure for this and continue to work with her in the stage 2 planning for our important hospital expansion.”

The Victorian Health Building Authority says planning continues for a further expansion at Wonthaggi to include two new wards with up to 64 beds, a new labour and delivery complex, a new outpatient clinic and extra car parking.

Shadow Minister for Health Georgie Crozier said the Coalition would finish what Labor had not.

“Unlike Labor who promised to deliver this, they have done nothing,” Ms Crozier said.

“This redevelopment of Wonthaggi Hospital needs to be finished and that’s exactly what Jess has just outlined, which is what we will do.”

Ms Crozier was asked whether a Coalition government would commit to the stalled West Gippsland Hospital at Drouin, another project promised by Labor before the 2022 election. She did not commit to it, instead pointing to a list of what she called Labor’s broken promises.

“It’s whether it’s West Gippsland, whether it’s Wonthaggi, whether it is the Arden precinct, whether it’s the 10 community hospitals, whether it’s Maroondah, all of these broken promises by Labor,” Ms Crozier said.

“We will have more to say around the importance of supporting regional Victorians and the importance of delivering for regional Victorians around these critical health services.”

Asked how the Coalition would pay for the upgrade, Ms Wilson said it would end corruption in the state and establish a Royal Commission, pointing to reports the same day that the government had agreed to a settlement of more than $800 million.

“That would have paid for this redevelopment stage two and three twice over and left change,” she said.

Liberal candidate for Bass Rochelle Halstead said local patients should not have to travel long distances for care.

“Most people know that when you’re facing health challenges there’s a lot of anxiety that goes with that, and to have to travel long distances only adds to that anxiety,” Ms Halstead said.

“Now locals will get the same service that our city people have been getting for a very long time.”

The state election will be held in November.