The Towong Shire Council is expecting a large turnout for the community rally in Corryong this Sunday calling for a new single-site regional hospital on a greenfield site in Albury Wodonga.

Sunday’s protest is the latest step in a protracted campaign that has snowballed since the NSW and Victorian governments announced a joint $558 million funding commitment to redevelop the existing Albury Base hospital.

Residents of the wider Upper Murray region will come together for the rally calling on both the Victorian and New South Wales and Federal governments to commit to a single site hospital.

It will highlight the inadequacy of the planned redevelopment of the Albury hospital and the urgent case for a hospital that will meet the needs of the region now and into the future.

Towong mayor, Cr Andrew Whitehead, will be one of the guest speakers at the rally.

Addressing 500 people at a rally against the redevelopment proposal in Albury’s QEII Square in April, Cr Whitehead said that “a broken system” had contributed to his father’s death.

Hospital issue is critical

Cr Whitehead’s father Bill (88) had to wait in an ambulance for several hours before being admitted to the Albury hospital.

“My father was ramped at Albury for over five hours,” he said.

“When he was eventually admitted to the ED at 3.30pm, medics performed a scan to discover blood supply to the bowel had been blocked.

“By that time, my father’s choice of whether or not to have an operation had been taken away.

“A new hospital is the single most important issue facing the Upper Murray and Towong Shire,” Cr Whitehead emphasised.

“I urge everyone to be at the rally on Sunday and lend your voices to this most important issue. We are tax payers and we deserve better.

“It’s not only for us but for our children and their children as well!

“They can slug us with a new Emergency Services tax without thinking twice but won’t even talk to us about the Albury hospital redevelopment and what it means for our residents.

“We’ve had enough of being ignored.”

“Let’s make sure the Victorian government understands exactly where the residents of the Upper Murray and Towong shire stand on this issue.

“It’s time for the region to get our fair share of funding.”

The rally will be held on Sunday August 10th at the Corryong Memorial Hall from 12.00pm and a free barbecue will be available.

Other speakers will include Stan Stavros (Director, Better Border Health) and Dr Lachie McKeeman (Deputy Secretary, Border Medical Association).

The Victorian Premier and Victorian Minister for Health have both been invited as well as local state and Australian government representatives.

This article appeared in Corryong Courier, 7 August 2025.