23 Mar 2018 Border Mail, Albury-Wodonga (General News) by Shana Morgan A $6.9 million funding announcement for Wangaratta hospital, the second multimillion-dollar grant for the organisation in the past 12 months, will be made today when Premier Daniel Andrews visits the city. Northeast Health Wangaratta has big plans to expand its emergency and maternity services. Stage one of the project was funded with $15.2 million in April last year for a new 12-bed critical care unit and expanded emergency department. The new funding will allow stage two to go ahead at the same time, creating an extra four maternity beds, refurbished birthing and obstetrics area, an extra six medical beds and two palliative care beds. The overall $22 million project will feature 27 extra beds at the hospital. Northern Victoria MP Jaclyn Symes said there was a strong need for the extra funding. Wangaratta Hospital is so important to the region. Locals told us that it was a better community outcome to complete stages one and two at the same time, she said. Families all across North East Victoria are going to benefit from the extra maternity beds and modern facilities they need as more babies are delivered locally than ever before. Both stages are expected to create around 60 construction jobs and be completed by late-2020. The Victorian government said the redevelopment would ensure more women could give birth closer to home, and patients needing emergency care can get the treatment they need sooner. Northeast Health Wangaratta last month appointed a consultancy team made up of board members and engineers to work on planning the project, which is due to start construction next year. Speaking at the previous funding announcement, Mr Andrews said he was proud of the difference the expansion could make to seriously ill patients and their families. Just like everyone whos from Wangaratta, this hospital has been a big part of my life. It was there for me as I grew up and it was there for my dad as he battled cancer, he said. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford was at Brown Brothers in Milawa yesterday to announce funding for the $100,000 marketing and growth strategy to promote the King Valleys as Australias home of prosecco. Were officially popping the cork on the King Valleys renowned prosecco and were proud to back this initiative that will attract more people to our North East, more often, she said. Families all across North East Victoria are going to benefit from the extra maternity beds and modern facilities. Northern Victoria MP Jaclyn Symes Caption Text: HEADED HOME: Premier Daniel Andrews will visit Wangaratta hospital to make an announcement as part of the second round of the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund.Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.