2026-09-24
The Victorian Greens have claimed a major community victory after the Labor Government finally committed to rebuilding cohealth Collingwood, following years of campaigning from locals, cohealth and the Greens.
Plans for the redevelopment have been before the State Government for years, with cohealth publicly campaigning for funding since 2019.
Quotes attributable to Gabrielle de Vietri MP, Greens Member for Richmond:
“This is a huge win for the Collingwood community, who refused to let Labor abandon cohealth.
“I’ve been campaigning alongside this community for cohealth since before I was elected in 2022. People organised, protested and refused to give up - and today that pressure has finally paid off.
“Labor could have done this years ago. Instead, they put patients, workers and the community through years of stress and uncertainty, only to finally cough up the funding ten minutes before an election.
“This plan has been sitting there since 2019. It shouldn’t have taken years of community campaigning and the threat of losing these vital services to drag Labor kicking and screaming to the table.
“This a great win for the community but the state government is yet to deliver on the systemic fix we have been calling for - long term sustainable funding that recognises the critical role of community health in keeping us all healthy.
“As the local MP, I’ll keep fighting alongside the community to make sure Labor delivers every cent, protects cohealth’s services and never again leaves its future hanging by a thread.”