Maroondah Hospital receives $20 million for a children's emergency department eight years after it was first promised

Opposition and independent MPs claim a $20 million investment shared between the state and federal governments for a dedicated children’s emergency department is merely a “repackaging” of funding first promised in 2018.

🗓️ The history: In November 2018, former Premier Daniel Andrews promised $62.4 million to create dedicated children’s emergency departments at five Victorian hospitals, including Maroondah Hospital in Ringwood East, if Labor won that election.

• In the 2021/22 budget, the State Government increased this investment to $102.4 million.

• While two of the five promised projects have been completed and two others are under construction, no dedicated children’s department has been delivered at Maroondah.

🤝 Other promises: In September 2022, Andrews announced a minimum $850 million commitment towards the redevelopment and expansion of Maroondah Hospital, alongside a proposal to change its name to the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital.

• Original plans outlined construction would begin in 2025 and be completed by 2029. To this date, no works have begun and no funding has been fully confirmed.

🚧 New works: Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne announced the State Government would join with the Federal Government in investing $20 million towards a new children’s emergency department on Thursday.

• Design work is underway for a ground-floor children’s emergency department where young patients can be triaged separately.

• Early works to relocate the emergency department administration area have also begun, with construction expected to start in 2027.

🔍 Limited details: The Eastern Melburnian asked Minister Horne’s office several questions about the project, but only received a brief statement from a government spokesperson saying the new unit would provide “more personalised support for children and their families”.

• The State Government did not directly answer questions about why the announcement was made before any further commitment to a full hospital upgrade, when construction would start in 2027, or how the funding would be split between the state and federal governments.

😡 Opposition responds: North Eastern Metropolitan Region MP Nick McGowan described the announcement as an “awful hoax”.

• 🗣️ “This is a disgusting re-announcement, except worse, because the promise was never delivered back in 2018,” he told the Eastern Melburnian.

Independent Ringwood MP Will Fowles said a dedicated children’s emergency department would be “good news for local families” but was “not a new idea”.

• 🗣️ “This announcement appears to be another example of the government repackaging old promises rather than delivering the full redevelopment it committed to at the 2022 election,” he said.