Haven't dumped Wonthaggi hospital funding, they say

THE State Government has responded to reports, rumors and requests for information about its $290 million pre-election promise, in September 2022, committing itself to Stages 2 and 3 of the Wonthaggi Hospital expansion.

While a spokesperson for the Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas has stopped short of attaching a money value to the project, there’s nothing to say the funding is “off the table” as a local health official reportedly said recently.

Here’s what the Sentinel-Times asked the Minister, and also local MP Jordan Crugnale.

* Can the Minister please advise if the government still stands by the $290M funding commitment to stages 2 & 3 of the Wonthaggi Hospital?

* Can the Minister please advise about the status of the project and when the government expects work to start on the next two stages of the Wonthaggi Hospital redevelopment?

And here’s what we received from “a government spokesperson”.

“We’re continuing with detailed planning work to expand Wonthaggi Hospital - funding for this planning was provided in previous budgets.”

"In Victoria, we have a significant pipeline of health infrastructure projects - we are staging the delivery of our major hospital investments, helping to make sure we balance these builds with our broader infrastructure agenda."

"We've already delivered a number of major health projects across West Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley – including the major expansion of Latrobe Regional Hospital and new ambulance stations in Traralgon, Moe, Warragul and Morwell."

Background

Funding for the Wonthaggi Hospital expansion was provided in the Victorian Budget 2023/24, with timeframes to be confirmed following the completion of planning work.

The Allan Labor Government continues to invest in more healthcare for locals - the Phillip Island Community Hospital is easing demand for specialist outpatient and allied health services.

The Community Hospital has the capacity to treat 114,000 more urgent care patients every year, will support 55,000 dialysis treatments and more than 100,000 allied health sessions per year.

Here’s what the Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale had to say:

"The Allan Labor Government continues to invest in high-quality health infrastructure across the Bass electorate and wider area so our communities can access more care, close to home."

"Whether it’s the new Community Hospitals at Phillip Island, Cranbourne and Pakenham opening in 2026 - we continue to deliver more health care and services for our community every single day."

“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 in the Stage 1 new hospital and ED,” said Ms Crugnale.

“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.”

Concerned that a cash-strapped State Government might be getting cold feet about continuing its commitment to the Wonthaggi Hospital, Eastern Victoria MLC Melina Bath addressed the issue in State Parliament recently.

In State Parliament on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Eastern Victoria Region MLC Melina Bath asked the question.

“My constituency question is to the Minister for Health. In the last election, 2022, your government made a commitment of $290 million for stages 2 and 3 of the Wonthaggi Hospital redevelopment. Your commitment to locals included a completion date by 2027. The Bass region is a rapidly growing LGA, and the need for adequate health care is ever increasing, with increasing emergency department and hospital presentations. The redevelopment would expand services by adding new wards, outpatients and therapy areas, a women’s health centre, improved radiology, allied health facilities and extra parking. The word is that you have abandoned this commitment. Minister, when will you release the construction timeline for stages 2 and 3 of the Wonthaggi Hospital?”

So, according to a spokesperson for the Minister, the government hasn’t abandoned its $290 million commitment to Wonthaggi but the fear is, that if they continue to kick the can down the road, it will be in the lap of the gods whether the promise survives another election process.