General News
6 May, 2026
Snubbed again: St Arnaud hospital still waiting for funding
A wait that has spanned more than 15 years and will be longer now there’s no money for it in yesterday’s State Budget.
EAST Wimmera Health Service staff are still waiting for funding as its St Arnaud hospital threatens to crumble around them.
A wait that has spanned more than 15 years and will be longer now there’s no money for it in yesterday’s State Budget.
And a wait that has also seen other hospitals and health services across the Ripon electorate get funding ahead of them.
The NCN Herald understands a number of attempts have been made by the health service to propose improvements to its St Arnaud hospital through a Master Plan, but to no avail.
This has resulted in a number of revisions of the plan, which as resulted in the price tag increasing significantly in a 15 year period.
And every day they wait, staff work in a building that has stood in North Western Road since the 1930s with some patient rooms without bathrooms, walls with asbestos warning signs on the wall, chipping paint and cracked walls.
The St Arnaud Community Action Network (SCAN) has been working with various stakeholders to improve and expand the current health services on offer in town. “Residents are having to travel out of town to access some of the health services they need,” SCAN president Barry Batters said. “We want the health service and the community to work together and advocate for our town.
“We need to support each other if we want changes to be made. A new hospital is a long-term dream, but we can work together to get there.”
The last time EWHS got close to funding for a new hospital was in October 2023 when then Liberals leader Matthew Guy and ex-Ripon MP Louise Staley promised $30 million to upgrade the site. The plans included the construction of a brand-new main building to the west of the site, which would have the capacity for home aged care residents.
A new urgent care department would have also be built, where a modern administration area will be located.
At the time, East Wimmera Health Service chief executive Trevor Adem thanked the opposition for the commitment.
“This health service is one of the oldest in the state and St Arnaud’s building is difficult to maintain and not necessarily fit for purpose,” he said in 2023.
“We appreciate the opposition’s funding commitment that will allow us to undertake a project that is important to the community.”
The Maryborough and District hospital has recieved $115 million from the State Government since the first announcement in 2021.
This included money for a new urgent care centre, a 32-bed inpatient unit, a new maternity unit and birthing suites and more.
Inglewood and Districts Health Service has been included in the State Government’s Statement of Priorities since 2021.
Ripon MP Martha Haylett promised Inglewood $5.1 million for the renovation and upgrade of the hospital‘s Urgent Care and Acute Services building through the government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund (RHIF)
And while that announcement included $2.6 million for a standardised fire suppression system at St Arnaud, Wycheproof and Donald campuses, no funding had gone towards improving the St Arnaud hospital.
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