John Crothers and Sally Hughes from the Corowa, Rutherglen, Wahgunyah Health Action Group with Indi MP, Dr Helen Haines, leading the push for urgent investment into Albury Wodonga Health and improved funding for regional hospitals such as Corowa and Urana.
Last year, more than 2,000 residents across the cross-border region signed petitions calling for urgent investment into Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) and improved funding for regional hospitals such as Corowa and Urana.
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The petitions were tabled in NSW, Victorian and Australian parliaments and now the Corowa–Rutherglen–Wahgunyah (CRW) Health Action Group has received responses from the NSW and Federal governments.
No response has yet been received from the Victorian Government, despite the petition being tabled in Parliament in late 2025 by Benambra MP, Bill Tilley.
John Crothers from the CRW HAG said the Federal Health Minister’s response outlined general national hospital funding arrangements but failed to address the specific, well-documented cross-border challenges faced by Albury Wodonga Health.
“This comes in the same week the Prime Minister publicly dismissed additional Commonwealth investment into an Albury Wodonga hospital solution, a position the CRW Health Action Group believes does not reflect the lived reality of our region,” Mr Crothers said.
“While welcomed as an initial acknowledgement, the response does not address the long-term viability gap facing AWH or the urgent need for funding at Corowa and Urana.”
In April last year, more than 600 people, about 10 per cent of the combined populations of Corowa, Rutherglen and Wahgunyah, marched down Sanger St to send a message to state and federal politicians in the Walk for Health.
Despite 625 Victorian residents signing the petition, and Victoria’s shared responsibility for AWH, no response has been received from the government.
“Given the current public debate in Victoria about health funding, ambulance delays, and ED pressure, this lack of engagement is deeply concerning for residents of Rutherglen, Wahgunyah and the wider Indigo/Federation border zone,” Mr Crothers said.
“Our community has spoken clearly and respectfully, we have worked constructively with all sides of politics and presented thousands of signatures across three parliaments.
“What we now need is not generic replies but genuine leadership and collaboration from NSW, Victoria and the Commonwealth.”
CRW HAG member, Sally Hughes said the responses so far did not match the scale of the health crisis.
“Emergency departments are overcrowded, elective surgery waits are growing, and Corowa Hospital needs immediate investment,” Ms Hughes said.
“We will continue to advocate for a future-proofed hospital aligned to the 2021 Clinical Services Plan.”
Dr Helen Haines MP and Dr Amanda Cohn MLC described the response as generic, disappointing considering the scale of the regional challenges and said it didn’t reflect the unique health pressures experienced along the NSW–VIC border.
The NSW Health Minister confirmed a commitment to the current $558M brownfield redevelopment and recognised community concerns, though Mr Crothers said there was slow progress on the Corowa Hospital Service Plan and no commitment to match the scale of the 2021 Clinical Services Plan (CSP) future demand projections.
