Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has finally sanctioned funds to complete the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre. The Premier has committed almost $45 million to fit out the Austin Hospital project that was incomplete.
Less than a year since she serenaded then-Premier John Brumby for his commitment, Ms Newton-John said she was now looking forward to working with Mr Baillieu to complete the hospital. “I'm just absolutely thrilled that Mr Baillieu and (Health Minister David) Davis have come through - I believed that they would, but I didn't know it would happen so fast…I couldn't believe they would leave us half-finished like that. I had faith - it was a little scary at times. It's not about the politics, it's about the cancer centre and it being funded… Cancer affects everybody,” Ms Newton-John said. She herself is a breast cancer survivor and has worked for eight years to make her dream centre a reality.
The Coalition had refused to guarantee the project since Labor's promise to back the final stage of the hospital evaporated with its election loss. Mr Baillieu, announcing the funding, said he was being forced to fill in a budget “black hole” because Labor made its commitment without allocating any money for it. “They started a hospital without a funding commitment,” he said. But Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said Labor's poll promise to fund the third stage was fully funded and costed in documents signed off by the state treasury. Treasurer Kim Wells did not detail where the government was able to find the $45 million to fund the centre's fitout, saying it was part of a continuing budget process.
Austin chief Dr Brendan Murphy said outpatients would be treated next year and wards open in 2013. About 2000 Victorians are expected to receive treatment at the centre. “We are going to provide Victorians with a state of the art, world-class facility that will help and heal the lives of so many,” Ms Newton-John said.
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