Wodonga City Council is pushing for more details about a planned redevelopment of Albury Base Hospital as residents advocate for a new facility in the region.
The Victorian and New South Wales governments announced a $558 million redevelopment of Albury's hospital in October which would include a new clinical services building, operating theatres and emergency department.
The plan is set to be discussed at an annual general meeting of Albury-Wodonga Health Tuesday night.
Wodonga Mayor Ron Mildren said the council had submitted five questions to the health service's board including queries about the redevelopment decision.
"We've submitted the questions because we have a lot of concerns about the proposal that's been put on the table by the two state governments," he said.
"We don't believe it's going to serve the community well.
"We don't think that the job has been well done in putting this [plan] together at this point."
Traffic, access concerns
The council has asked the health board whether it had lobbied for a new purpose-built hospital at a greenfield site.
It has also asked for more clarity on its redevelopment consultation with the state governments.
Cr Mildren said the council was also worried about traffic and accessibility issues around Albury Base Hospital during the planned hospital works as well as its impacts on health staff.
"When you're trying to run a health service with a construction site around you it would be absolutely difficult," he said.
"Particularly where you're doing operating theatre and things like that."
Cr Mildren said he hoped Albury City Council support Wdonga council's push for a single-site hospital, including during a meeting of councillors on Monday night.
Albury Mayor Kylie King recently said Albury council was awaiting the release of a master plan that informed the state governments' funding decisions.
The New South Wales and Victorian governments said in October last year that Albury Base Hospital would continue to operate throughout construction.
They also said they would work with the community to redevelop the Wodonga campus once services were transferred to Albury.
A spokeswoman for New South Wales Health Minster Brad Hazzard said the redevelopment was consistent with the recommendations of the Master Plan developed by Albury Wodonga Health in collaboration with the state health departments.
"While this is not a greenfield option, the announcement was based on expert advice and data, and will provide the necessary health infrastructure to serve the communities of the Albury-Wodonga region," she said.
Albury Wodonga Health board chair Matt Burke said the organisation understood there was a lot of community interest in a new hospital.
"We look forward to responding to the questions on notice we have received at our AGM on Tuesday night," he said.
The office of the Victorian health minister has been contacted for comment.
