‘No going back now’ on Tweed hospital

A COMMUNITY group which failed in its fight to shift construction of the new Tweed Valley Hospital from Cudgen has warned there is “no going back now”.

The group, Relocate Tweed Valley Hospital From State Significant Farmland, campaigned to have Nationals Member for Tweed Geoff Provest ousted in favour of Labor candidate Craig Elliot in last weekend’s NSW election.

Mr Elliot promised the $534 million hospital would be built at Kings Forest, but his defeat means Mr Provest – who won the seat of Tweed for a fourth term – and a retained state Liberal-National coalition will forge ahead at Cudgen.

The founder of Relocate, Hayley Paddon, issued a statement on behalf of the group.

“This is a sad day for the future of Cudgen farmlands and the village of Kingscliff,” it read. “The LNP has changed its unique character and the lives of residents forever. There will be no going back now.

“The election results do not change the fact there are still no approvals for the project.”

The group called on NSW Minister for Health Brad Hazzard “to be forthcoming with the report on rezoning” the hospital site from its status as State Significant Farmland.

Mr Provest said he expected the development application for the hospital will be lodged within “the next few months”, before construction begins in July-August.