Tamworth still waiting four years on

Monday, 07 March 2011 00:00

Media Releases - Kevin Anderson Media Release

Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries said that while his tour of the multi-million dollar redevelopment of Narrabri Hospital demonstrated that it's well on track to be completed by the end of the year, today marked the fourth anniversary of the NSW Labor Government's broken promise to start rebuilding the Tamworth Hospital.

Mr Humphries toured the Narrabri Hospital redevelopment today with the Hospital Action Committee who fought for 10 years to secure the project. Mr Humphries was very pleased with its progress, however said that according to his colleague, Candidate for Tamworth Kevin Anderson, such a redevelopment should have begun at Tamworth Hospital years ago.

"It was fantastic to tour the Narrabri Hospital redevelopment today to get a glimpse at the state of the art facilities that are currently under construction, but that are set to be finished by the end of this year," Mr Humphries said.

"Members of the Hospital Action Committee, Chaired by Ross Gleeson, joined me on the tour to see how much their hard work had paid off, which begun in 2005 after the community decided that they had to take matters into their own hands under the failing NSW Labor Government.

"The redevelopment will allow a co-location of acute and community services, and I believe will attract new skilled medical professionals to the region.

"We got an insight into the scale of the redevelopment whilst viewing areas such as the new operating theatre, birthing sweet, palliative care ward, mental health safe room, paediatric ward and play space, pathology unit, women's health and Ambulance station.

"The Hospital is currently home to 120 staff, 29 inpatient beds, 6 day surgery chairs and 8 Ambulance staff; however the redevelopment includes staff accommodation for visiting clinicians and medical students, a great initiative to attract more people to the town.

"However unfortunately today's visit was bitter sweet, as it fell on the fourth anniversary of the NSW Labor Government's broken promise to redevelop Tamworth Hospital.

"Given that hospitals in Barwon are unable to be classified as a base hospital due to the smaller populations, Tamworth Base Hospital plays an extremely important role in the lives of my constituents, and its redevelopment must no longer be ignored.

"My father was born in that hospital and so was I and our two eldest sons, and the truth is that nothing in it has changed," he said.

Nationals Candidate for Tamworth Kevin Anderson, said that it was on March 7, 2007 that the then NSW Labor Premier announced that they would start rebuilding Tamworth Hospital within the next four years, however to date, a sod has not been turned.

"While in Barwon, Mr Humphries has managed to open four new health service facilities in the last four years, the people of Tamworth have received nothing but broken promises," he said.

"That's why if elected on March 26, in our first term of government the NSW Liberals & Nationals have committed to providing $100 million to the redevelopment of Tamworth Hospital.

"Not only will there be no more waiting for the people of Tamworth under a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government, regional linkages will be strengthened as we make health a number one priority for regional NSW," Mr Anderson said.

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