The Beagle Editor, Since August 2018, the ONE - One New Eurobodalla hospital movement has lobbied for the provision of improved Health services for the Eurobodalla.
With the election of the NSW Liberal National coalition, there is a commitment to $150 million towards the development of a single new regional base hospital for the Eurobodalla.
The Federal Leader of the Opposition has pledged $25 million to the Eurobodalla hospital development in elected at the next Federal election.
The One New Eurobodalla hospital campaign was strategically planned to include both the NSW State election and the Federal election.
As an advocate for this movement, I have corresponded with State and Federal representatives of the major parties requesting support for capital contribution to the development of local health services.
In correspondence with the Federal Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, the Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, and the sitting member for the Federal Electorate of Gilmore, the Hon Ann Sudmalis MP, I have received exactly the same response
“While the Commonwealth provides funding to state and territory governments for their public hospital systems, state and territory governments are the system managers of those public hospital systems, with responsibility for the day-to-day administration of public hospital services including the planning, funding and delivering of capital.
The Commonwealth has also provided funding for a range of health infrastructure projects in the Eurobodalla region. This includes over $160 million to the New South Wales Government for the Bega Valley Health Service project for the construction of the new South East Regional Hospital which opened in 2016, and over $7 million in the 2018-19 Budget, through the University of Canberra, for the South East New South Wales Health Collaborative project for the construction of clinical training facilities and student accommodation in Bega, Cooma and Moruya.”
It is disappointing that our Federal representatives and particularly the member for Gilmore have failed geographically to distinguish between the Eurobodalla and Bega Shires.
Above: Liberal Candidates Kotvojs and Mundine might like to familiarise the Federal Minister for Health that Bega is an Hour and a half drive from Moruya and 121km apart with Batemans Bay nearly 2 hours and 146km away.
It is disappointing that our Federal representatives consider that a cut and pasted response to a seriously constructed submission explaining the needs of the local community would satisfy their constituents.
It is disappointing that there has been no commitment from either the highest level of Federal government, the Liberal candidate for Gilmore, Mr Warren Mundine, the Nationals candidate for Gilmore, Ms Katrina Hodgkinson, or the Liberal member for Eden-Monaro, Dr Fiona Kotvojs.
The Federal Budget 2019-2020 will be released on Tuesday, 2nd April 2019.
Will the community of the Eurobodalla be disappointed again? Dr Michael Holland
