New NSW Labor Leader Jodi McKay visited Goulburn on Wednesday, saying the state government needed to update the community about progress on the Goulburn Hospital.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Six months on from the election, she was concerned that Goulburn was being forgotten.
"Six months on, we have a very Sydney-centric government, the new local member is basically invisible and I'm worried that Goulburn is being forgotten," she said.
"Labor welcomes the expenditure the government is making to Goulburn Hospital, but there is so much secrecy about what is actually happening.
"Tell us when construction is going to start. It was supposed to start many months ago. We've had a demolition, but that's about it. The community here deserves to know exactly what services will be there and whether it will cost $150 million or more?"
Read also: Cracked timber roof beam closes indoor pool
She said there was also confusion about parking near the hospital.
"Even the council does not know about simple things like parking there," she said.
Ms McKay cited recent Bureau of Health figures about elective surgery, showing waiting times for common elective surgery procedures including:
- Cataract removal - 326 days (up 7 days on same time last year)
- Knee replacement - 375 days (up 35 days on same time last year)
- Hernia removal - 270 days (up 189 days on same time last year)
- Hip replacement - 366 days (up 33 days on same time last year)
"The number of patients on the waiting list for these surgeries has also increased massively," she said.
- Cataract removal (206) - 50 extra people on waiting list since this time last year
- Knee replacement (136) - 19 more people on waiting list since this time last year
- Hernia removal (39) - 10 more people on waiting list since this time last year
"Hospital elective surgery is in crisis. Waiting times for hip and knee replacements at Goulburn Base Hospital are longer than a year and that is unacceptable for our senior citizens," she said.
While in Goulburn, Ms McKay also met with the Goulburn CWA and representatives of Goulburn Mulwaree Council.
She said Goulburn is now a key seat for Labor.
"I'm excited to be in Goulburn today. Labor performed well here in March, turning Goulburn well and truly into a marginal seat," she said.
Labor achieved a 3.1 per cent two-party preferred swing in Goulburn at the March election.
Meanwhile, Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said Ms McKay's comments were a scare campaign that would not wash within the community.
"The comments from Ms McKay that claim health and education investment is lacking in the Goulburn Electorate won't wash within our community," Mrs Tuckerman said.
"It proves that either they don't know what goes into delivering infrastructure, or barely even drove around Goulburn before distributing this rubbish.
"How dare she claim that local health are under performing, has she even looked at the statistics on the website to support her claims? This is yet another Labor scare campaign.
"It's clear this was a media stunt to get Ms McKay away from the Sydney ICAC investigations as she has come down to the electorate with no meaningful community engagement.
"The NSW Government is delivering on all its election commitments including Goulburn Hospital. Work is continuing on the Goulburn Hospital project and I will have a further update on the Hospital construction very soon. To date, early works have been completed and the site it now fully prepped for main works constructions."
She said updates about the hospital were at ww.goulburnredevelopment.health.nsw.gov.au
Ms McKay was joined on the visit by Labor Duty MLC for Goulburn and Shadow Minister for Crown Lands and Mental Health Tara Moriarty.