COOTAMUNDRA ‘NUMBER ONE PRIORITY’ FOR BRAND-NEW HOSPITAL

Steph Cooke opening the 8th Annual Cootamundra Mayoral Summit.

The fight to secure Cootamundra a brand-new hospital is on, following a powerful campaign to save the town’s pathology lab that laid bare the urgent need for a modern, fit-for-purpose health facility. 

In 2024, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District’s draft health services plan for Cootamundra Hospital prompted widespread community outrage, with residents and health professionals warning that a proposed reduction of inpatient beds, surgical and birthing services, and closure of the fully staffed pathology lab would severely compromise health outcomes.  

More than 10,000 residents signed a petition demanding that the pathology lab remain open, with the Minister for Health, Ryan Park, conceding that the advice he received about the proposed service cut did not reflect on-the-ground reality.  

At the same time, community members made it clear that Cootamundra should be prioritised for long-term health infrastructure that meets the needs of future generations, rather than subjected to the gradual erosion of essential services. 

Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, is leading the charge to secure a brand-new hospital, with the project identified as a top priority at the 2026 Cootamundra Mayoral Summit. 

“What we need to see now is a brand-new, fit-for-purpose facility that will set that community up for generations to come,” Ms Cooke said. 

“We're very grateful that down the road in Temora, we are seeing a $95 million hospital come up out of the ground as we speak. 

“But we can't rest on our laurels, and we cannot leave it there. 

“The Cootamundra Hospital is our number one priority in the health space over the next 12 months, and I will certainly fight tooth and nail to make sure that the government and the opposition are aware that this is our main priority.” 

The push for improved healthcare infrastructure extends beyond Cootamundra.  

Efforts to secure new hospitals for Coolamon and Grenfell are also being ramped up, with both communities demanding modern, purpose-built facilities. 

In 2023, the Coalition committed to delivering a new hospital in Coolamon to support its growing and ageing population. 

“We lost government, and the incoming government shelved those plans,” Ms Cooke said. 

“They need to be taken off the shelf, dusted off, and put, well and truly, back on the agenda. 

“The third hospital we need to see is a multi-purpose service for the community of Grenfell and the Weddin Shire. 

“They have nine-bed licenses granted by the federal government, which the existing facility cannot accommodate, in addition to the staff that go with them. That is simply not good enough.” 

Since being elected as the Member for Cootamundra in 2017, Ms Cooke has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for health infrastructure across the electorate, including $110.2 million for a new hospital in Cowra.