Wednesday 12 March 2025

The Allan Labor Government continues to deliver vital health upgrades throughout regional Victoria ensuring more people can get the care they need, closer to home.

Swan Hill District Health has officially opened the new $65.7 million emergency department, which has more than doubled the available treatment spaces – to help improve wait times and give more locals access to the emergency care they need, closer to home.

This important health infrastructure project has redeveloped the emergency department and added an additional four-bed short-stay unit, an isolation room and a behavioural assessment room.

The new and expanded emergency department means the dedicated team of doctors and nurses will be able to treat more than 25,000 patients each year – helping to reduce wait times for locals needing emergency care.

In Echuca, a $10.2 million Regional Health Infrastructure Fund (RHIF) grant is supporting the health service deliver significant upgrades to its dental facilities, as well as a new, specialist space for the cleaning of surgical tools and other medical equipment.

For Echuca residents receiving dental care at the hospital, the refurbished Oral Hygiene unit will improve patient privacy during appointments, and also provide a more modern and efficient working environment for staff.

Progress is being made in Cohuna on the new Public Sector Residential Aged Care (PSRAC) facility, which will be co-located at and operated by the hardworking team at Cohuna District Hospital. This ensures older locals in Cohuna have the high-quality aged care they need and deserve, closer to home, with construction now underway on a new $41.1 million aged care facility.

The Government is helping Goulburn Valley Health retain and attract new medical staff in Shepparton, with new, modern and comfortable accommodation close to the hospital, well underway.

Construction is progressing on the new three-storey staff accommodation complex – supported by a $10.2 million grant from the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund (RHIF).

The new staff accommodation complex comes on top of the recent Labor Government investment, with the delivery of a $229.3 million redevelopment of Shepparton Hospital – including a five-storey inpatient unit with 64 inpatient beds, 10 intensive care beds, four new operating theatres and a new kitchen.

Since establishing the RHIF in 2016, the Labor Government has funded more than 675 projects for regional health services – the largest program of its type in Victoria.

Now worth a total of $790 million, RHIF helps to deliver projects including theatre refurbishments, new waiting rooms and hospital beds, accessible paths and ramps, additional consulting rooms, expansion projects and equipment upgrades.

Quote attributable to Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne

“Regional health services do an outstanding job, that’s why RHIF is so important as it helps them continue doing what they do best – supporting the health and wellbeing of their communities.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas

“Having grown up in regional Victoria and coming from a family that relied on public healthcare, I know how important it is for regional communities to have access to world-class care, close to home.”

Quote attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes

“RHIF is not only making a difference to local patients and our dedicated health workforce, it also continues to support local construction jobs right across regional Victoria.”