The Victorian Coalition has pledged to spend $100 million on an integrated cancer centre and the new clinical health school at Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton should it win the November state election.
Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy said the money would come from $35 billion of savings from scrapping the proposed suburban rail loop in Melbourne.
The proposed cancer centre would be quadruple the size of the current facility.
It would come with a $75 million price tag and allow GV Health to expand its current cancer services to treat different types of cancers.
Mr Guy said it would deliver a major expansion of oncology services, as well as additional clinical space for specialists and allied health professionals.
The clinical health school is a partnership of La Trobe University and GV Health, and received $19.5 million of federal funding in April 2020, with additional investment from GV Health and LaTrobe University.
Mr Guy said the Coalition would tip another $25 million into the facility, where 300 nursing and allied health students would be trained a year, including nursing and midwifery courses.
“Training healthcare workers in regional Victoria ... will put more doctors, nurses and staff in the areas they’re needed most,” Mr Guy said.
“The Goulburn Valley is growing, and this commitment will help ensure the local health services and workforce can grow with it.”
Liberal candidate for Shepparton Cheryl Hammer said thousands of people fighting cancer had been forced to travel hundreds of kilometres while sick to receive the treatment they needed.
“A new cancer centre will alleviate so much of the stress, anguish and cost associated with travelling away from home for critical care,” Ms Hammer said.
Nationals candidate for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe said the $100 million pledge would ensure thousands of locals could have “desperately needed” care close to home.
“Regional Victorians deserve to be closer to family and support networks during what can be a confronting and difficult journey through treatment,” Ms O’Keeffe said.