FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK: CR JAMIE CHAFFEY

Once again, Gunnedah has been left to fight for something that we were promised years before.

This week, Gunnedah Shire councillors were told the Gunnedah Hospital redevelopment had been revised in scope and design and, as we have feared for some time, the news is all bad.

Council has been campaigning alongside the community for some years to address the dire health services situation in our region. Our own survey, as well as submissions to the NSW Parliamentary inquiry into health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW, has uncovered one heartbreaking story after another. The council survey responses were filled with confusion, frustration and anger.

While our GP situation has improved, our community needs long-term assurance that this will continue to get better. We also need faith that promises to Gunnedah shire that the services we so desperately need will be included in our new hospital.

The NSW government needs to step up and honour the promises made to our community. This project has gone through extensive community consultation, some of which was included in the design.

What was it all for? To say it is frustrating to see the design which included life and death services for Gunnedah bumped back to the absolute bare minimum is an understatement.

With only one-third of the original scope now in sight, how much of the $53 million has already been spent and where has it gone? Gunnedah shire deserves honesty and transparency.

What is the shortfall to deliver on the full master plan? And after four years, why are we only hearing this now? The politics needs to stop and there needs to be more focus on delivering what has been promised.

In the parliamentary inquiry, chair Greg Donnelly said: “While recognising that the provision of health services to an area as large as rural, regional and remote NSW is challenging and complex, throughout this inquiry the committee heard repeatedly about individuals and families let down by the health system.

“We heard stories of emergency departments with no doctors; of patients being looked after by cooks and cleaners; of excessive wait times for treatment; and of misdiagnoses and medical errors.”

How can a new hospital that delivers only a fraction of the promised services be the way forward to a better future?

Our community deserves, and needs, the services it was told would be available, and the highest standard of care.

On a lighter note, Gunnedah shire will once again host royalty this week. This is the second visit by Her Royal Highness to mark our Sister City Agreement with Kolomotu’a, and the delegation will include community and business representatives to further our friendship and practical ties.
 

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