Ms Tebbutt was unavailable for interview yesterday, but confirmed she will speak with The Daily Advertiser in the coming week.

Despite representing many members of the public who would benefit from a new health facility, Mr Primrose's staff informed The Daily Advertiser he would not comment on the matter, saying it was a Department of Health issue.

Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) chief executive officer Dr Maggie Jamieson was available for interview, but failed to shed much further light on the situation.

"It's really important to say we do appreciate the enormous community concern about the plans for Wagga Base Hospital," she said.

"It's important the community understands that getting the $90 million allocated for the project's stage one does actually mean the project has begun ... (and will be used) in priority areas of infrastructure -the emergency department, pediatric in-patients, operating theatres and mental health beds, which are all cruicial."

Hard figures that will demonstrate just how much bang for our buck the hospital will get in those areas are not yet available, Dr Jamieson said, but will become available in the future.

"Obviously when we work through the planning we'll know definite numbers," she said.

Dr Jamieson said meetings will take place between key stakeholders, which "will include members of the clinical group, and of course will include the mayor" before the month is out.

"Within the next two weeks, and that will start to drive stage one (of the upgrade) forward," she said.