Rebranding of funding for Tweed Hospital inaccurate

THE fiasco of the future of our Tweed Hospital facility just rolls on. And the sham media stunts to con the good people of our shire also roll on.

The big news of an extra $91 million cash injection would provide for 499 beds is no news. The government’s own formal application submitted in September 2019 for the new hospital was indeed for a future total of 499 inpatient/day beds and 46 emergency beds. The new hospital was to open with 391 beds.

The big sell to the Tweed community was the need for a new state of the art regional hospital and desperate need for much increased beds to service the growing population. The Minister stated the new hospital would open with 450 beds with capacity to double (900). The Government’s agent is now claiming the new hospital is not about the number of beds.

The budget for the new hospital was $534 million but that figure since fudged as $582 million by including the $48 million for the existing Tweed Hospital promised prior to the 2015 elections but did not materialise until nearing the next election, in 2019.

This $48 million was for the ‘holding works’ undertaken at the existing Tweed Hospital. Any figure can be thrown about but until it is actually allocated in the budget means little. The 2019-20 budget allocated $50.9 million for Tweed hospital construction.

The medical fraternity stated last week the extra $91 million will not build a hospital Tweed needs, the budget only adequate to serve the community 3-5yrs and key improved services such as cancer treatment/PET scanner still not assured.

Of note is the recent AuditorGeneral Report into NSW Health finding a $2.2 billion blowout on health hrojects. The Premier stated on the day of the announcement of increased infrastructure spend including the Tweed hospital, “… and create an environment where private and government investment combine…” So, is Tweed to lose its public hospital to a private/public partnership?

As for the fast tracking of projects through the planning system, the government has learnt nothing from the buildings that are crumbling from an already seriously flawed system with no checks or balances or any independent oversight and no transparency.

LINDY SMITH, TWEED HEADS