Council
22 May, 2026
Fears of hospital budget cuts
MEMBER for South West Coast Roma Britnell has condemned the state government’s failure to boost funding for the Warrnambool Base Hospital redevelopment, warning the project risks being cut back even further as costs continue to rise.
Ms Britnell said the community should be celebrating the completion of the long-promised redevelopment - not still waiting for answers.
The project, originally backed in 2020, was meant to be finished by now, delivering modern, expanded healthcare services to meet the growing needs of the south west.
Instead, years of delays and uncertainty have left the region without the upgraded hospital it was promised and a further delayed completion date.
“Worryingly, key components of the original plan have already been cut, including important facilities that were meant to support patients, clinical services and staff,” Ms Britnell said.
Ms Britnell said she had expected this year’s State Budget to include a funding boost to reflect the reality of rising construction costs and ensure the full project could still be delivered.
Instead, the complete absence of any additional funding has heightened fears that even more will be stripped from the project behind closed doors.
“With building costs far exceeding 2020 estimates, the government’s refusal to inject further funding raises serious concerns about what will ultimately be delivered - and whether the final result will fall well short of what the community was promised,” Ms Britnell said.
“For patients, families, and frontline healthcare workers, the consequences are real. This is not just about timelines or budgets, but about access to safe, modern healthcare in a growing regional community. After years of announcements and delays, the south west deserved to be cutting the ribbon on a completed hospital.”
She said instead, the community is being left in limbo, with no clarity and no confidence in the outcome.
“By now we should be cutting the ribbon and welcoming patients through the doors, instead, our community is still waiting, while key parts of the project have already been cut.”
“I expected this budget to include additional funding to keep up with skyrocketing construction costs - but there was nothing.
“That silence speaks volumes, and it raises serious fears that even more of this project will be stripped away. You cannot deliver a 2026 hospital on a 2020 budget. Something has to give - and right now, it looks like it’s the services our community relies on.”
