Community
19 June, 2026
Still no sign of PET scanner
THE long-awaited arrival of a PET scanner for Warrnambool, promised by Labor ahead of the 2022 state election, is yet to be confirmed four years later.
Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell has urged the state government to “come clean” with south-west patients who are awaiting news of its arrival.
“For too long the government has failed to provide clear answers about the long-awaited PET scanner for Warrnambool,” she said.
“Here we are four years later and there is still no funding allocation, no confirmed location and no delivery date. Patients and their families deserve better.”
Ms Britnell said the government’s “inaction” was particularly frustrating given she had facilitated discussions with Lake Imaging, which was prepared to partner with St John of God Warrnambool to build the facility and deliver the service at no additional cost to patients.
“These discussions were held in 2023, a letter was sent to the Minister outlining Lakes Imaging’s offer to deliver the service and the proposed build could have been completed by Easter 2024; that’s more than two years ago,” Ms Britnell said.
“Lake Imaging has since confirmed it still has a specially trained nuclear medicine technician available to operate a PET scanner in Warrnambool, and the consortium’s proposal remains viable and could still be pursued.
“This is no longer a question of feasibility. It’s a question of political will. The latest state budget failed to provide funding for the PET scanner, raising further suspicions in the community that it was just an announcement and was never intended to be delivered.”
At a time when cancer patients are still travelling hundreds of kilometres to access critical diagnostic services, Ms Britnell believes it is becoming clear to the community that “the government never intended to deliver this vital cancer diagnosis equipment.”
“Not only has Labor failed to fund the PET scanner in the 2026 budget, but the Warrnambool Base Hospital redevelopment has now been delayed until at least April 2028, with no guarantee that deadline will be met.”
* The Warrnambool Weekly contacted Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora’s office for comment but had not received a reply prior to the Weekly going to print.
