{"id":811978,"date":"2026-07-20T09:59:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T09:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/811978\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T09:59:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T09:59:16","slug":"albanese-snaps-at-northern-territory-reporters-over-funding-delay-for-vital-falling-apart-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/811978\/","title":{"rendered":"Albanese snaps at Northern Territory reporters over funding ‘delay’ for vital, ‘falling apart’ hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anthony Albanese has been grilled over a “delayed” hospital investment announcement in Darwin \u2013 as he was accused of short changing territorians.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister on Monday announced $10 million in funding for upgrades to the maternity unit at the Royal Darwin Hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Northern Territory government requested more than three times that figure for the project in May 2025.<\/p>\n

Asked about the more than 12-month “delay”, the Prime Minister hit back at the local journalists.<\/p>\n

“Why the delay? … It’s a very strange question,” Mr Albanese said.<\/p>\n

“We’re for an announcement. $10 million on top of what we had was the billion dollars of additional hospital funding that was negotiated out through the National Cabinet process.”<\/p>\n

Then, Mr Albanese was asked why just $10 million was provided, given the territory had asked for $35 million initially.<\/p>\n

Mr Albanese said: “No, they’re happy with $10 million. You just heard the announcement. This is enough.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Further pressed he added: “You’re getting record funding. Thirty per cent increase last year in hospital funding year-on-year”.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sky News’ Matt Cunningham highlighted the territory also had “record needs”.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mr Albanese said a 30 per cent year-on-year increase to any budget was “substantial”.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another reporter said the hospital was “literally falling apart”, and asked if the Albanese government would fund another hospital in Darwin.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mr Albanese again insisted he was in Darwin to announce only the $10 million injection before pushing back again.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under the upgrade, birthing and maternity wards will have more capacity, including single rooms and space for visiting families.<\/p>\n

Completion is expected by 2027.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a046-year-old\u00a0hospital currently has\u00a0no private maternity services.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NT Health Minister Steve Edgington asked the government for a $35 million injection for “modifications” to the maternity ward in May last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Later in the year, NT Health’s CEO, Chris Hosking, revealed the reasoning behind the figure at a business forum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He also told the forum receiving $35 million seemed unlikely following negotiations with federal Health Minister Mark Butler.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\u2018Complete<\/p>\n

“To be really clear the $35 million would have allowed us to co-locate all maternity within Royal Darwin,” he said at the time, per NT News<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0be able to do that for a third of that, but it could go a long way to\u00a0making\u00a0the experience better for people.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still pressing for a higher round, but I don\u2019t know how successful that will be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said Mr Butler had been “agreeable” to estimates more in line with funding provided to “several other states”.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

On Monday, Mr Albanese sought to connect the $10 million injection to a dual-facility project on the Central Coast of New South Wales.<\/p>\n

NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, Special Envoy for Defence Luke Gosling, and Mr Edgington were also present for the announcement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anthony Albanese has been grilled over a “delayed” hospital investment announcement in Darwin \u2013 as he was 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