'Schools and hospitals before stadiums' was the slogan on the bus, and NSW Labor leader Michael Daley stayed true to that theme while delivering his party's health plan in Wollongong on Wednesday.
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A $5 million upgrade to Wollongong Hospital's maternity unit and $4.5 million for the children's ward, plus an additional $1 million to fund eating disorder treatment services at Shellharbour Hospital were in the plan.
So too was Labor's commitment to undertake an independent review of Illawarra health care - including the need for a paediatric surgeon - within 100 days of winning the March state election.
A NSW Labor government will also match the Berejiklian government's commitment of $251 million to upgrade Shellharbour Hospital, and $37 million for Bulli Hospital's upgrade.
And Mr Daley made a pledge of "no privatisations of public hospitals" under his government.
"When it comes to health, the current government has over-promised and under-delivered," he said. "Our promises, by comparison, are quite modest. But they're achievable and they're fully costed.
"While the Liberals and Nationals splurge more than $2.2 billion on Sydney stadiums, Labor will invest in health and hospitals."
Wollongong MP Paul Scully said Labor's plan would deliver the facilities and resources required to meet the demands of the growing region.
"Groups like Better Births Illawarra are campaigning for improvements to Wollongong Hospital's maternity unit - not just to the physical environment but also for the care mothers receive," he said.
"In addition, we're hearing of the frustrations of families because there's a need for improved paediatric services, in particular the need for a dedicated paediatric surgeon.
"And there's an unfulfilled promise from 2015 of a cardio-thoracic surgeon for Wollongong Hospital.
"Labor's planned upgrades to the maternity unit and children's ward, and commitment to an independent review of the entire hospital system will ensure we meet the changing needs of our community."
Shellharbour MP Anna Watson said Labor had also responded to concerns that there were limited eating disorder services in the region.
"Local patients shouldn't have to travel to Sydney to access these vital health services, particularly when eating disorders affect the whole family," she said. "Having additional funding for local services will ensure more patients receive treatment close to home."
Meantime Labor's treasury spokesman, Keira MP Ryan Park, said Illawarra's hospital system had been under increasing pressure in recent years and Labor's plan would relieve that.
"We know Wollongong Hospital is one of the busiest hospitals in NSW, so the redevelopment of Shellharbour Hospital - and making sure it stays public - will assist in taking some of that pressure off," he said.
"And the reason we fought so hard for Bulli Hospital is to again relieve some of that pressure on Wollongong, as well as to give people in the northern suburbs access to healthcare."
