In good health: State Budget earmarks funds for Torquay hospital

TORQUAY is on track to get its first hospital, with funds committed to the project in last week’s 2021-22 State Budget.

The Torquay Community Hospital – originally pledged ahead of the 2018 state election – will be funded as part of an overall $555.5 million package for 10 hospitals.

It will be much larger than the existing Torquay Community Health Centre, but the site for the hospital has not yet been chosen.

South Barwon Labor MP Darren Cheeseman said he was very pleased to see money in the budget for the 10 hospitals, including the Torquay Community Hospital.

“Subject to building approvals, Torquay Community Hospital will open in 2024, which will enable more people to manage their everyday health needs closer to home,” he said.

The budget papers estimate a completion date in the fourth quarter of 2024-25 for the 10 hospitals.

“We’re looking forward to further announcements about land acquisition in due course, but it’s a big investment,” Mr Cheeseman said. “I think these facilities across the state will very much help support our growth corridors; they’re all located in those areas that are experiencing significant population growth.”

Speaking outside the Torquay Community Health Centre on the Surf Coast Highway earlier this week, Mr Cheeseman said that facility was built in the 1970s.

“You’ve got to remember the population was a lot smaller then. The population here has grown a lot, Armstrong Creek didn’t exist, and we’ve got a lot of additional people that are going to be moving into this area in the coming few decades, and having these kind of hubs will enable people to not have to travel into Geelong to get access to services.”

Barwon Health chief executive officer Frances Diver said it was important the hospital in Torquay responded to the community’s needs, including specialist services.

“We’re engaging with the community to work out what are the right services to give to this community.

“That will be things like child and family services, caring for healthy ageing with chronic and complex conditions, a big expansion of mental health services – so this is a fantastic opportunity for us to locate a whole lot of services down here that better respond to the community’s needs, and great for people to get care closer to home.”

Mike Atkinson is one of 15 people appointed to the Community Consultation Committee for the Torquay Community Hospital.

“I’d like to see something I can trust and rely on – if I need something on a Sunday night, I can get it on a Sunday night, not on Tuesday morning,” he said.

“I’ve been hanging around Torquay since 1962 and this is just a small service here now and it’s turning into one of the biggest regions in the state so the hospital has to catch up, and stay there.”

Elsewhere on the Surf Coast, the 2021-22 budget also includes funding for upgrades to Aireys Inlet Primary School as part of a $94 million package to upgrade 17 schools across regional Victoria.

Broader budget spending includes $7.1 billion on health, $3.8 billion on mental health, and $1.6 billion in new schools, maintenance and upgrades with another $716 million in school programs and support for the teaching workforce.