A renewed call has been made for the Allan Labor Government to urgently fast-track planning for a redeveloped Bairnsdale Hospital (BRHS) to address critical capacity shortfalls that are already compromising patient safety.
Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said that in 2022, the BRHS Board completed a comprehensive hospital master plan outlining future development needs.
“However, I have been advised that work was undertaken without an approved Entity Service Plan and therefore did not have the support of the Victorian Health Building Authority.
“Since then, the Department of Health’s Health Planning Unit, in collaboration with BRHS, has completed and endorsed the required Entity Service Plan, clearing a key hurdle to progress planning.
“The plan confirms what the community and frontline staff already know: current demand is exposing serious deficiencies in points of care, particularly in the Emergency Department,” he said.
“Bairnsdale Hospital currently operates with just nine emergency department cubicles and a single resuscitation bay. Modelling shows this is already six cubicles short of what is required to meet current demand, before accounting for future population growth and an ageing community.
“There is an urgent need for additional acute emergency treatment and resuscitation spaces, along with purpose-built clinical areas to ensure safe and timely care,” he said.
Over the recent summer period, the hospital’s emergency and bed-based services regularly operated at or beyond capacity due to the annual tourist influx. This resulted in extended waiting times, ambulance ramping, blocked beds and delays in critical care.
“These pressures are not theoretical - they are happening now,” he said.
“Our community deserves a hospital that can meet demand, not one where patient safety is put at risk because infrastructure hasn’t kept pace.”
The situation is compounded by ongoing infrastructure issues, including a malfunctioning lift that has previously required emergency maternity patients and elderly patients to be transferred via stairs, an unacceptable safety risk.
“I have asked the Minister for Health Infrastructure to expedite the planning process for Bairnsdale Hospital within this financial year as delaying planning only increases the risk of compromised health outcomes for local residents and the many visitors who rely on the service each year.
“Action is needed now to ensure our region has the hospital infrastructure it requires, and deserves,” he said.

Monday, 9 February 2026