Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to make it absolutely clear that the assets of Warley Hospital on Phillip Island belong to the people of Phillip Island. They were intended—beginning in 1923—to be used for the people of Phillip Island for their health care, for their aged care and for their general wellbeing. These assets are now being liquidated, and the assets must stay on Phillip Island. It is a clear position. It is a categorical position. It is a position I have put without equivocation to Aged and Community Care Victoria.

I want to address this question in three brief phases. Firstly, the history of Warley Hospital dates back to a period when those requiring medical attention had to be taken by boat to Hastings or endure a five-hour journey to Melbourne by horse and cart. Against that background, in 1923 Mr and Mrs WE Thompson agreed to purchase the property then known as Buena Vista if the other island residents would fit it out as a hospital. That occurred, and Warley Hospital was opened on 8 December 1923. It is a hospital that has contributed enormously to the people of Phillip Island—to their health, to their wellbeing and, above all else, to their sense of security and community.

Sadly—and this brings me to my second point—Warley Hospital was closed at the end of January this year. The aged-care component was closed only some short months ago. This was an avoidable closure. There was a $2½ million guarantee by the previous government, which was put in place prior to the election. I believe it was not just an election promise but a guarantee which should have been honoured. It is a matter of shame and disgrace that the minister, Nicola Roxon, breached that guarantee to the people of Phillip Island, failed to visit the people of Phillip Island and left that island with no emergency service as a consequence.

Having said that, it is now time to deal with the future. What I say is this: the assets that were part of the hospital’s legacy have been passed under treaty to the Bush Nursing Association and from them now into the hands of Aged and Community Care Victoria. Aged and Community Care Victoria is run by good people. They did not seek these assets. They recognise that there is a debt of somewhere in the vicinity of $2 million to be paid. If that debt is not liquidated, we will see an erosion of the remaining assets with an interest loss of about $25,000 per month. That debt does have to be paid off and therefore the assets have to be treated in a way such that their long-term health is preserved.

Against that background, on the three occasions I have now spoken to Aged and Community Care Victoria—to one of their representatives, Bill Forward, and in addition to their CEO, Gerard Mansour—I am convinced they have the best interests of the island at heart and that they are committed to the retention of all of these assets. The remainder is likely to be over $2 million once the debts have been discharged. But that money, as I have said to them, must stay on Phillip Island. It must be applied to the health needs and the aged-care needs of the island. It was raised by Phillip Islanders. It was the result of thousands of hours of community work to create a health service and to maintain and preserve that health service. And now, having been the victim of government negligence, it would be a tragedy if the community’s assets were sequestered and taken away.

I believe that Aged and Community Care Victoria will do the right thing. I have made it absolutely clear to them that they must do the right thing. These assets must be used on the island, for the islanders and they must be used for health and aged care. The other point which I have also suggested to the CEO is a very clear one. It is that perhaps rather than trying to administer the funds, Aged and Community Care Victoria could designate either an advisory board or indeed pass the assets to a formal trustees board. At the end of the day, the assets came from the work of Phillip Islanders and they need to remain on Phillip Island. Nothing less will be acceptable. Anything other than that will be fought bitterly and strongly by the people of Phillip Island, who created the magnificent Warley Hospital, whose loss we now mourn greatly.