SOUTH Australians will pay an average $158 more in taxes next year and see planned hospital upgrades put on hold to plug a $655 million health funding hole left by federal budget cuts. An increased emergency services levy, based on property values, would raise $355.8m over four years to fund healthcare. But South Australia’s Labor government would need to find a further $322m to fund health services unless the commonwealth reversed its cuts. “The health system is no longer viable in its present state,” Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said. As revealed yesterday by The Australian, more than $234m for planned upgrades of the Queen Elizabeth and Modbury hospitals, Noarlunga Health Service and Flinders Medical Centre have been parked in a contingency fund to reassess priorities in light of cuts. Read more…