In just five days, I will join fellow Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Councillors, medical professionals, and community members from both sides of the border on the steps of Victorian Parliament.

Together, we will present a united front, speaking on behalf of the 300,000 residents within the Albury-Wodonga hospital catchment, with one clear message - we deserve better than the sub-optimal plan to redevelop the existing Albury Hospital.

The facts couldn’t be clearer. Albury Wodonga Health's 2021 Clinical Services Plan projects that by 2040, our region's population will increase by 33%, placing enormous demands on our healthcare system:

• Emergency presentations will increase by 52% (up to 150,000)
• Total admissions will increase by 51% (up to 80,000)
• Surgeries will increase by 66% (about 40,000)
• Paediatric admissions will increase by 71% (5,700)

The proposed redevelopment simply will not meet these growing needs, which is why we need a new hospital on a new site.

It has been over two years since the NSW and Victorian State Governments announced joint funding to redevelop the Albury hospital. That's two years of questioning the business case, raising community concerns, and experiencing a lack of meaningful engagement from state governments.

Just this week, after more than six months of waiting, we finally received a response from the Victorian Health Minister to the letter sent by Indigo, Alpine, and Towong Councils following our historic tri-council meeting in Beechworth last August. The timing, less than a week before our planned rally at Parliament, speaks volumes.

The Minister's response was dismissive of our concerns and failed to address any of the substantive issues we raised. Instead, it offered more rhetoric to justify the redevelopment plan that we know is inadequate for our community's needs.

We are fighting for the future of healthcare for our entire region. We want to ensure that our children and grandchildren have access to the quality healthcare they deserve.

Next Wednesday is about standing together as a community and demanding better. Let's show our state governments that we are united in our call for a new hospital on a new site that will truly serve the needs of our growing community.

If you want to know more about travel arrangements, visit the Better Border Health Facebook Page.

Regards

Cr Sophie Price.

On Tuesday night, Council met for its first meeting of 2025.

Included in the agenda were six planning applications, with the most notable being the proposed service centre on Federation Way in Rutherglen. Given the high level of community interest, including more than 80 objections, I thought it important to explain Council’s position and what happens next.

Council didn't make a decision on this proposal because this application is currently before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for determination.

Rather, it discussed the reasons why it would, if given the opportunity, refuse the permit application. The main grounds cited for refusal are that the proposal has not adequately considered the flood and environmental risks to the site. The applicant hasn't provided the flood study requested by the North-East Catchment Management Authority, leaving Council unable to assess how these risks would be managed

The VCAT hearing will be a public forum, held in Melbourne, where one or more VCAT members will hear from Council, objectors and the applicant. A decision is unlikely at the conclusion of the hearing with VCAT likely to inform each party of its decision in due course. 

While the hearing was listed to begin on 17 March, we understand the applicant has been granted an adjournment until August 2025.

Should VCAT issue a permit granting approval, it will include a number of conditions, and it will then be up to Council to ensure they are complied with. We will keep you informed with any updates as they come to hand.

Council also discussed the upcoming Expression of Interest for a new 21-year lease for the caravan park at Lake Sambell Reserve. As the land manager for our Shire's four caravan parks, we need to run a transparent and competitive process when leases come up for renewal.

As mentioned by the CEO, the first Council meeting for the year was held on Tuesday evening, with a number of agenda items for Councillors to consider.

You can read a summary of the decisions on our website or watch a recording of the whole meeting.

We're pleased to advise that recent water sampling at Allans Flat Waterhole has shown that the blue-green algae levels have now returned to a safe number, and the warning signs have been removed.

With more hot weather on the way, we will continue to monitor water conditions and provide updates as necessary.

Works to upgrade three short sections of road safety barrier were completed along Indigo Creek Road last week.

The installations are in place to protect traffic from roadside hazards at each location.

Minor maintenance works on some existing sites on Up River and Gooramadda Roads were also completed over the weekend.

We'd like to give a big shout out to the Rutherglen High School students who recently built some new furniture for the Rutherglen Skate Park.

The sturdy benches provide comfortable seating for spectators and a place for skaters to rest between sessions, and is beautifully crafted.

Thank you to all involved.