Our shops struggled to remain open with minimal staff and a number of schools were exposure sites.
But as the nation watched on, Shepparton showed everyone how well our community members can support one another. I was so proud of the response from individuals, community groups and Goulburn Valley Health.
Our hospital played a key role in managing this outbreak and keeping the community informed, with support from Emergency Management Victoria and Greater Shepparton City Council.
Part way through a redevelopment, with reduced emergency department capacity, our hospital dramatically altered its operations, and chief executive Matt Sharp kept the community informed through daily press conferences.
Now, a year on, as I meet with our community members in a different capacity as the Nationals candidate for Shepparton, there is one topic that continually comes up — healthcare.
Elective surgery waitlists were growing rapidly before COVID-19 put pressure on our health services, now the reported waitlist figure is beyond 87,000 people.
We need more people working in the healthcare sector, as well as better hospital facilities.
The Liberals and Nationals have announced a commitment to fund a number of hospitals across Victoria — including new hospitals in West Gippsland, Mildura, Wodonga and upgrades at St Arnaud — by shelving the Cheltenham to Box Hill rail line in Melbourne.
With the Liberal and Nationals’ Regional Infrastructure Guarantee, it means that 25 per cent of the funding would go to regional healthcare.
Last week, Greater Shepparton City Council released its key priorities in the lead-up to the Victorian election, including the Stage 2 development of GV Health.
This is a priority project for Shepparton to address a crisis created by Labor, and I have been lobbying my colleagues to include Shepparton in funding commitments for upgrades.
And I will continue to do so until Shepparton gets the facilities our community deserves. No-one should have to wait hours to be seen in an emergency department, or hope that an ambulance will be sent when they dial 000.
Victorians need real solutions to the healthcare crisis, and a Liberal and Nationals Government will deliver those with better healthcare right here in the Goulburn Valley.
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