Hospital delays rejected

LABOR has accused the NSW Government of falling behind its deadline for the controversial Tweed Valley Hospital.

Despite the contentious selection of a site at Cudgen on June 30, the land is yet to be acquired by the Government for the development.

Deputy opposition leader and health spokesman Walt Secord says the $534 million project will not be completed by 2025 without due process being disrupted.

“The Nationals’ site has not a single approval in place,” Mr Secord said yesterday.

“This will be a long and protracted process and no one believes the completion date.

“They are going to trample on the community, over-ride the community’s views.”

The debate over the site, near the Kingscliff TAFE, has divided the Tweed community.

Opponents, including farming groups and the Tweed Shire Council, say the site is prime agricultural land.

Supporters say the area badly needs new health services and construction must go ahead.

Although he slammed the government for delays, Mr Secord said he would prefer a stop on all hospital building works until after the NSW election, which is due in March next year.

Despite two rounds of public tenders for the site, in November last year and in April, Mr Secord said a Kings Forest site should still be considered.

“Labor is committed to the Kings Forest site and we believe that a state election should be a referendum on the site,” he said.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard denied there were delays.

“That (a delay) is absolutely incorrect,” he said. “I would suggest to the people of the Tweed they take absolutely no notice of the untruths that are being put by Mr Secord.”

Mr Hazzard said master planning work and building concepts were being developed. However, purchase of the property had not been finalised.

“The gentleman who put the land forward, who no longer lives on the Tweed, had in his head what he thought he could get taxpayers to pay for that land,” Mr Hazzard said.

“There is no doubt that is much more than what most people would think it is worth.”

Site works are due to once acquisition and planning is completed, with early work to begin by the end of this year

The Health Infrastructure department says the new hospital will be completed in 2022 and open in 2023.

A two-stage planning approval process later this year will include a public exhibition period to allow the community comment.