Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy told a health crisis forum in Melton on Thursday that the state government was yet to purchase land for the much discussed Melton hospital.
Mr Guy was in Melton to to further discuss the Liberal Party’s pledge to begin construction of the Melton hospital within 12 months, if elected.
“As you know, there’s the site…Where a new hospital was promised four years ago and the land is yet to even be purchased,” he told community members.
Mr Guy said getting the hospital built on Ferris Road in Cobblebank is an “absolute necessity”.
“We want to build that hospital; we want to get it underway as quickly as we can to be a decent size facility for what this community needs,” he said.
“For Melton’s sake, the hospital would open up the potential for other allied services around the hospital to become a precinct.
“It’s needed. It’s not a want have, it’s a must have.”
With the population increasing, the need for the hospital is growing fast.
A resident, who didn’t say his name, who is also a GP told the audience that the hospital needs to be able to accommodate up to 400 beds.
“It needs to be adequate from day one,” the GP said.
“We need to have the vision that this should be a Monash type hospital. That this should be a hospital that will service the whole area.
“This needs to be a proper suburb and this needs to have the infrastructure for the people that live here. They deserve it.”
The GP was met with applause from those in attendance.
In a statement, Melton MP Steve McGhie’s office said that the transfer of ownership has not yet been recorded at the land registry, but the process was underway.
“This is in process now, however this is an administrative step and the Minister for Health is the legal owner of the land.
“The City of Melton will need to certify the plan of subdivision. This process is currently in train.”
