North health funding plea

Mayor Bruce Harwood has turned up the heat on higher governments to match council’s funding commitment for a new $61.6 million health centre in northern Geelong.
The governments “must” share the cost after council’s previous state-appointed administrators committed City Hall to providing $20.6 million, Cr Harwood said.
Council was unable to alone cover all the cost of the Northern ARC Health and Wellbeing Hub, he warned.
“They (state and federal governments) haven’t done enough in helping the council with the health and wellbeing of people in northern Geelong,” Cr Harwood said.
“They must match council’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of the area’s residents.
“I acknowledge there has been funding for various organisations and projects, such as the ring road and port, but (the governments) need to provide more strategic funding at the grassroots level, particularly for the Northern ARC hub.”
Council this week awarded a tender to begin design work on the hub, which would include consulting suites for health professionals, occasional child care, a gym, multi-purpose spaces and three pools, one for hydrotherapy.
The hub would sit alongside a proposed $33 million Barwon Health-North hospital facility, whose development is tied to the ARC centre.
The Andrews Government announced in 2015 that construction of Barwon Health-North would begin in 2016 and finish in 2017 but the project remains in planning stages with the ARC hub as it awaits full funding.
Advocates for the northern suburbs have demanded hospital facilities for over a decade, noting the north’s adverse health outcomes. City Hall last year confirmed that the northern suburbs had “poorer health outcomes” than Geelong and state averages.
Cr Harwood vowed to ensure council’s business case and funding applications were “spot on and ready to go”.
“I’m working on that to see where they’re at.”
A spokesperson for the Labor State Government suggested Cr Harwood’s comments were political, saying “we will not be lectured to by the Liberals”.
“We’re getting on with building the Barwon Health North facility to give local families the care they need, closer to home,” the spokesperson said.
“We are working with Barwon Health to ensure these services are provided in a safe and integrated way that best meets the needs of the (northern) Geelong community.”
Federal Liberal Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson said council had missed opportunities for funding from Canberra.
“Of the three projects for which council is seeking funding under the current round of the Building Better Regions Fund this project was not included, which is disappointing, she said.
“Council also failed to make an application under our $20 million Regional Jobs and Investment Package. Council can’t afford to miss these important funding opportunities.”
“I urge council to consider the Regional Growth Fund, due to open shortly, which will provide a minimum of $10 million to support major infrastructure projects.”