But for how long is yet to be determined. Goulburn MP Pru Goward said it was back to the drawing board for the Local Health District (LHD) following the decision not to proceed with a public-private partnership for the Base Hospital. 

Yesterday the LHD announced it would “re-evaluate the service changes at the Bourke Street Health Service.” 

LHD chief executive Janet Compton said the government decision has “given the Local Health District time to further review the timelines and processes to relocate Bourke Street services to one health campus in the future.”

Following the announcement, Ms Goward said: “There is now certainty instead of doubt” about the facility – at least in the short term.

“My hope is that the move of services in Bourke Street is delayed until the new hospital is re-developed. I can’t run the LHD, but I hope they make that decision now they can see the problems with it,” Ms Goward said. 

“We had a very strong case for maintaining the Bourke Street clinic until the new hospital is built.

“I raised the community's concerns directly with Minister (Jillian) Skinner, the Ministry of Health and the LHD and made it clear that the proposed closure was not only unacceptable but that the transfer to the main hospital site in Goldsmith Street has enormous additional problems that would only be solved when a new hospital was built with fully integrated oncology and palliative care facilities.”

Ms Goward said she had consulted with the community since the “shock announcement” to close Bourke Street and that the announcement was  a “great win for the community” and that she was “grateful to be able to ensure the voices of Goulburn were heard.”

Ms Goward acknowledged the community’s input into the Bourke Street facility over the years.

“The community is so invested - 90 per cent  of the Palliative Care and Oncology equipment has been provided with funds raised by the community with the hydrotherapy pool also coming from donations,” she said. More details P3