Tom Price residents are demanding clarity on when the state government will come good on its election promise to rebuild the town's hospital.
The Labor government partnered with mining giant Rio Tinto in the lead-up to the 2021 election and committed to replacing the 55-year-old hospital with a new $32.8 million facility.
Labor won the election in a landslide and has since delivered a massive $5.7 billion budget surplus, which was largely achieved thanks to billions in iron ore royalties generated by mining towns such as Tom Price.
But 18 months after the election, the town's leaders and residents said they had not received an update on the government's plans and were anxiously waiting for the project to develop.
Tom Price mum-to-be Olivia Burmester, 28, moved from Perth to work in the small town almost two years ago.
She said the community was frustrated by the lack of clarity around when the hospital would be rebuilt.
"Most of us are here for work and we put money into the town so it would be awesome for the government to do good on their promises and follow through with what they say that they're going to do," she said.
Ms Burmester, who is about five months pregnant, said she often travelled to Perth to receive anti-natal care.
"The hospital is dated … it's not great to not have all the facilities of a hospital like Karratha or Port Hedland, and having to travel to either Perth, Hedland, Karratha to get any major care," she said.
"To get midwife care, ultrasound care, we have to wait for visiting people so that sometimes can be a bit frustrating.
"It can be daunting to live in a place like this."
Ms Burmester said the existing hospital's staff delivered high quality care but she felt they deserved better facilities to work in.
"With newer resources and a better facility, potentially the access to care and the ability to do more would improve," she said.
Shire seeks answers
Shire of Ashburton chief executive Kenn Donohoe said the council had repeatedly asked the state government for an update on when construction of the new facility would start.
"We would've raised this with WA Country Health Services and the local member a number of times over the last six months," he said.
"When the shire has asked for updates as to when they will build, we have not been able to get a final determination from the state government as to when that would be occurring."
Mr Donohoe called on the government to give some clarity about the project.
"We need to know a defined date as to when the capital build would be provided, as the shire was committing the land component to this, and in what year this is going to be built," he said.
He said the hospital was reaching the end of its life and the community deserved a rebuilt facility.
"The resources from the Shire of Ashburton are significant … [and] it is to be questioned why this capital project is not happening as quickly as the community has anticipated," he said.
The process 'takes time'
WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the government was committed to the hospital's redevelopment but did not specify when it would be rebuilt.
"Planning is underway, but this important and thorough process takes time," she said.
Ms Sanderson did not say why the government had not told the shire when construction of the new facility would start.
She said the hospital continued to deliver high quality care.
A WA Country Health Services spokesperson said it was working to ensure a financially viable project.
