DESPITE record spending on health and infrastructure in the 2016/17 state budget announced in Tuesday, just $6.2 million has been allocated to advance the new Maitland Hospital.
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Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian announced a $1.46 billion spending program on health infrastructure over the next financial year, part of $4.5 billion to be invested in new hospitals and health facilities across the state between now and 2020.
However, there was only a token allocation for planning and site preparation for the new Maitland Hospital, reinforcing the concerns of Member of Maitland Jenny Aitchison that a "vague promise" that the project would get under way during the current term "could just mean a shovel in the ground in March 2019".
A new hospital was announced in 2011 and a site at Metford has been acquired, but there has been little progress since. The Baird government promised $25 million ahead of the 2015 election to kick-start the project but Ms Aitchison said it was yet to be spent. The business case for the new hospital was submitted on December 18.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday's budget announcement, Ms Aitchison said she hoped the government would "start spending" the $400million promised for the hospital at the 2015 election.
"For five years Maitland has been waiting for a new hospital," she said. "Maitland grows by five people every day. We need better health services to meet demand.
"Five years ago we were promised a new $800 million hospital with 630 beds in addition to the 188 at our existing hospital. Then, in 2014, we had consultations, funding was halved to $400 million, beds were halved to 315, and we were told the existing hospital would probably close.
"Instead of a major tertiary public hospital, we are left with a rural referral, second-tier public-private partnership hospital with a helipad to fly out the most difficult cases.
"The government must fund the new hospital in full, announce how it will be run, when construction will start and guarantee the existing Maitland Hospital will remain open.
Asked why hospitals such as Maitland were still waiting for funding when the government was spruiking a record health spend, a $3.4 billion surplus and a AAA credit rating, Ms Berijiklian said the government had to prioritise projects.
"We are getting through the list as quickly and as best we can," she said.
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