Mayor told ‘people have spoken’ on hospital site

A VETERAN councillor has called on the Tweed mayor to step down after she flagged her ongoing opposition to the location of the new Tweed Valley Hospital.

National Party member and former mayor Cr Warren Polglase (pictured) said he was “disgusted” by Greens Mayor Katie Milne’s stance against the $534-million project in the wake of the NSW election.

Cr Polglase said Cr Milne “should step down” because she “can’t understand what her responsibilities are”.

“I’m actually disgusted because it doesn’t represent what the election was all about,” he said. “The election was about building the hospital. The people have spoken, made their decision and the mayor’s defying the decision given by the majority of the people.

“I think most of the community are disgusted that the council is giving consideration to continuing on with this sort of action.

“Let’s go and fill a few more potholes.”

Nationals Member for Tweed Geoff Provest retained his seat at the March election after promising to forge on with construction of the ninestorey hospital at 771 Cudgen Rd, Cudgen, at the cost of a portion of State Significant Farmland.

However, Cr Milne – who has physically protested against the Cudgen site – has said the hospital “did not meet the requirements of planning legislation”.

She has pointed to the current Tweed Heads Hospital site or Kings Forest, about 20km southwest of the chosen site, as viable options.

Cr Polglase slammed Cr Milne and said he was opposed to spending “thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars still challenging Health Infrastructure NSW on the location of the hospital”.

“It’s misinformation. The hospital will meet the requirements under the DA (development approval). Council have very little input into that process,” he said.

One of the hospital’s most vocal opponents, the group Relocate Tweed Valley Hospital From State Significant Farmland, has folded and conceded “all possible actions” had been taken to “save this piece of land”.