MONEY to start the $562 million Frankston Hospital redevelopment has been made available in the state budget.
The budget was handed down by the state government last week. A total of $16.2 million in taxpayer funding was allocated in the 2020/2021 financial year for the hospital expansion.
The budget papers showed that $27.2 million will become available for the project in 2021/2022, $124.6 million in 2022/2023, and $191.1 million in 2023/2024. The budget read that the total estimated investment of $562 million “includes funding beyond 2023-24”.
The money is welcome news for supporters of the project. Just $6 million was set aside for the redevelopment in last year’s budget.
The project was announced in the lead up to the 2018 state election and is expected to be finished by the end of 2024.
The redeveloped hospital is slated to have extra capacity for 120 hospital beds, two new operating theatres, 13 new emergency department beds, and new women’s and children’s health services.
Expressions of interest opened earlier this year to find a private consortium to build the planned Frankston Hospital upgrade .
The budget is usually handed down in May, but was delayed this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
First published in the Mornington News – 1 December 2020
