But rather than the $270 million announced back then, Opposition Leader Michael Daley has committed $200m, $50m more than currently allocated by the Coalition.

Mr Daley made the announcement as part of a whistle stop tour by Labor’s big red bus on Monday, ahead of the March 23 election.

It’s understood a large portion of the $50m would be allocated to additional car parking, to be decided in consultation with the council, community and staff. It would also fund an MRI machine, something Labor candidate Dr Ursula Stephens said was sadly lacking at the hospital. 

Mr Daley said the current $150 million redevelopment had been underfunded by the Coalition. 

“The council, community and staff have been calling for a carpark. We’re putting plenty of scope within the $50m to include (that) on site,” he said.

But just how much remains unclear. Opposition Health spokesman Walt Secord would not name a figure.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard has derided the announcement and the amount as being “plucked out of the air.” Liberal candidate for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman also described it as a “waste of money” and said the Coalition preferred to channel funding into health services at this stage.

Mr Daley told The Post the money would come from the capital infrastructure budget and was possible because Labor was “not splurging money on knocking down and rebuilding stadiums.” 

“They’ve known when the wrecking ball was coming (for the stadiums)...but haven’t been able to give anyone comfort about the health service in NSW five weeks out from an election,” he said.

Construction would be completed by late 2021, in line with the current timetable.

Dr Stephens said the extra funding also incorporated some tweaking of the design already agreed, such as the new emergency department entrance. It would also pay for outpatient and allied health clinics, renal and chemotherapy services.

The total $200m covers a new medical imaging department, operating theatres, new medical, surgical paediatric and geriatric inpatient wards with specially designated palliative care beds, a new maternity and birthing unit, “enhanced pathology services and an improved mental health unit. 

Dr Stephens said she had negotiated with the Opposition leader’s office around scoping and costs. These staff had also worked with Health Infrastructure in 2015 before Labor’s $270m commitment was announced, meaning there was an understanding of costs involved, she said.

Asked why Labor wasn’t promising the same amount now, Dr Stephens said the $270m was for a new hospital on a greenfield site.

“I always advocated for a greenfield site,” she said.

“What’s happened now is that the Government has issued contracts for the existing site and we just can’t renege on them. So we’ve looked at what was missing in the plan that’s out for consultation and we recognised there are some real shortcomings. That includes an MRI. There has to be an MRI in this town for our ageing community and that’s a very significant addition to the build. It will mean an interesting configuration and it will be quite an expensive one.”

Labor says with a design contract just issued, it wants to further discuss its changes and the additional money.

In January, the Coalition allocated a further $30m, taking its commitment to $150m but denied it compensated for under-funding, as Dr Stephens had claimed. Instead, it said the funding would go towards renal and cancer services.  

Ms Tuckerman told The Post an MRI machine was already factored into plans and authorities were working through a licence agreement.

“So you’re looking at $50m for a car park...I see it as a waste of money,” she said.

“There’s no detail. Will people have to pay for the privilege of parking there?”

As to whether the Coalition would at some stage commit to a car park, Ms Tuckerman said it would follow due process and await the outcome of the current public consultation.

Mr Hazzard contradicted Ms Tuckerman’s statement about the MRI, saying the machine and building typically cost about $6m. Further, there was no licence proposal before the Federal Government for it. 

“If they were fair dinkum they would have already got a licence. Having said that, if we can do it, we will but it’s a long way off,” he said.

He believed a larger car park was unnecessary at this stage but could be needed in time and said an announcement would be made “in due course.”

“If the MRI machine costs $6m, that means they’re spending $44m on a carpark, which is ludicrous,” Mr Hazzard said.

“It all wreaks of plucked out figures without proper planning with clinicians.”

Mr Secord said Labor would not be spending $40m on a car park.

Meantime, the Health Minister said the Coalition would be making further hospital announcements in the clinical area.

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