With its recent announcement, Bendigo Health has indeed lost a golden opportunity - an opportunity to give Bendigo not only a modern hospital but also to incorporate one of its most iconic monuments.

With a little foresight and maybe some lateral thinking, the vacant Chum, Thistle and Rowan streets site could be developed, along with Fortuna Villa and the barracks.

Imagine developing the vacant site with three street frontages, recycling the water to Lake Fortuna, re-establishing the gardens for convalescing patients, restoring Fortuna Villa for consulting rooms, renovating the barracks for country families’ accommodation and establishing a precinct of excellence along with established facilities.

Instead, the powers that be insist on demolishing working facilities - at huge expense - only to re-establish them elsewhere; no doubt they will demolish something else to build on that site.

With no organised public debate, or information available on the requirements for the site to be chosen, it is hard to understand their decision.

It would appear that the only criterion has been to spend as much money as possible. Easy when it is someone else’s money.

LLWYD NUTTALL,

Bendigo