Friday, 24 November 2023
Subjects: Tresillian in Cowra, Wallendbeen Bridge, Junee Correctional Centre, Grenfell Main Street opening, CWA turning 100 in the region, new firefighting recruits in Temora, the Young Cherry Festival.
E&OE…
Rich Spence: Welcome Steph Cooke, Member for Cootamundra. Good morning Steph.
Steph Cooke: Good morning, Rich. It's good to be with you, coming to you from Parliament House this morning, instead of being in the studio with you as I normally am.
Rich Spence: That's right. Now, some news from the Cowra Hospital, the Tresillian inpatient services. What's the latest there?
Steph Cooke: Rich, for your benefit and the benefit of all your listening audience across the region today, I had a meeting yesterday with Health Infrastructure New South Wales and the Western New South Wales Local Health District, and they advised me that the promised Tresillian residential unit at the new Cowra Hospital would not be proceeding.
Rich Spence: Oh, no.
Steph Cooke: This is just devastating news for the community, for parents, expectant parents, and families right across not just Cowra, but right across the region.
The original and agreed plan was for two inpatient beds to be dedicated to Tresillian in the new hospital, and the idea is that that would support families that have highly specialised needs with their newborns. So the decision by Health Infrastructure and the Local Health District to can this part of the redevelopment is absolutely devastating.
And I've sought a meeting urgently with the Health Minister Ryan Park; I'm just imploring him to overturn this decision. I genuinely believe it's wrong; it's absolutely wrong. Again, it's been made without any community consultation whatsoever, despite the fact that we had to go through years and years and years of community consultation to finalise the Clinical Services Plan to land on a design for the hospital that we now have.
And on the eve of the main build commencing, this decision has completely blindsided me as the local Member; it's blindsided Mayor Ruth Fagan; it's blindsided the local health council and it's most certainly blindsided the community. It’s not good enough.
Rich Spence: And what does it mean for the community now for patients needing that service? Because it's not something you can plan too far in advance, I would imagine.
Steph Cooke: No. This is the difficulty, Rich. So there are no Tresillian inpatient services west of the divide in New South Wales. So for any families who have got particular challenges with their newborns and their little ones, to receive the Tresillian services they have to travel to either Canberra or Nepean in Sydney.
And you can imagine the toll that that takes on a young family, particularly when both parents might be working, they may have other children at home, it might not be conducive to having half the family based in Canberra or Sydney and the other half based at home. So the whole idea, given that this was a brand new hospital being built in Cowra, the whole idea was to be able to provide these critical essential services close to where people live.
And Cowra is a highly central location in the Central West, so much so that the councils right across the Central West all locked-in to unanimously support the positioning of inpatient beds at Cowra. So that includes Forbes, Parkes, Orange, Bathurst, Lachlan, Upper Lachlan, the list goes on, and on, and on. And this has been a decision that has just simply blindsided everybody.
Rich Spence: Yeah, it's just not good enough, is it? Surely in the planning and costing, it was all ready to go, so why would they suddenly take that away? It just seems like we're going backwards in a lot of these vital health services, rather than forwards.
Steph Cooke: Oh, and it's difficult to disagree with you at the moment because you are quite right. This was always built into the $110.2 million hospital and they are citing construction costs and ongoing operational costs.
It's just simply not good enough that we would get to the eve of construction of the main build – all of the early works have been completed, the tender has been awarded, we are about to start construction on this hospital – and at one minute to midnight, Health Infrastructure and the Local Health District have come out together and said ‘no’, that we do not deserve this facility and it's absolutely outrageous.
Rich Spence: It seems like this new Labor Government is just shifting priorities away from what is urgently needed in the country, and then things that are less urgent in the cities they're diverting their priorities.
Steph Cooke: I think there is much evidence of that, Rich. And I think the other aspect of it, and I know we've got other matters to talk about this morning, but what's really striking to me is that these decisions are being made unilaterally without any community consultation whatsoever.
The community is being blindsided one decision after another. And on the issues that are really, really important to us, they just are not listening. I just don't think they care. I really don't. It's been a very difficult week, there's no question of that.
Rich Spence: Well, hopefully that decision can be overturned with some common sense.
Just moving on to something else equally important is the Wallendbeen Bridge, because yet another closure of the Newell Highway. Only northbound at the moment and south of West Wyalong, so traffic is not going through Wallendbeen, it's diverted through Temora, but it just puts an exclamation point on the importance of getting that bridge done for one lane each way.
Steph Cooke: The Wallendbeen Bridge, it's just a festering sore on our main arteries right through the electorate. That Burley Griffin Way is a critical link between east and west, between Sydney and Adelaide really. It's a much-used route not just by freight and by farmers that are moving stock and grain and equipment around the region to go about their business, it's also a main school bus route, it's used by locals doing their business across the region, and of course, also by tourists coming to our region.
And this has just been long-running, and there is no end in sight at this point in time. We continue to work as best we can with the minister's office. You know, it's a really, really difficult issue, and once again, we have a department, this time Transport, who just does not see this as a priority for resolution, and it's incredibly disappointing.
Rich Spence: Yeah, we really need that because it's been more than 12 months, nearly two years, I think, just with the one lane. Now, just moving on to another issue, Junee Correctional Centre, the government taking over the operations, or that was the plan anyway. What's the latest update there?
Steph Cooke: Yes, this was another snap decision by the government to deprivatise, if you like, the Junee Correctional Centre. Most people across the region would know that this is a centre that's been operated by GEO Group for over 30 years. They contribute much to the local community, and we are just not getting any answers as to what the future of that facility is going to look like.
It was another shock decision; the minister was pressed during Budget Estimates recently, but he's just failed to provide any critical responses to the Opposition’s questions, particularly in relation to community support, in relation to jobs. Once again, these are decisions that are being made without taking into account the views of our local communities.
Rich Spence: Yeah, as you mentioned, it has a wide-reaching effect on the community, jobs, as you mentioned, the economy as a whole, and just generally the wellbeing of the community.
Steph Cooke: Oh look, absolutely. And the minister admitted that he had never been to Junee, he has not met with GEO Group, so he has, for all intents and purposes, no idea exactly what they do, how they go about their business, the contribution they make to the local community.
The minister has not met with the mayor or with the council to get their perspective on these matters. I have, of course, asked for him to come down to Junee and have these discussions on multiple occasions, whether it be in the public domain, through radio interviews like the one I'm doing with you now, or having formally written to the minister saying, "Please, come out, come out and talk to us. Don't make these decisions from Sydney. Come out and see what these decisions will do to our local communities and have a chat with the locals."
Rich Spence: Yeah, it is important for them to get out there in the field into the communities, as you mentioned.
It is Friday Steph, let's move on to some good news. The Main Street in Grenfell has had some works going on for a number of months; it's finally ready to open or has been opened.
Steph Cooke: Very, very exciting news for Grenfell, the broader Weddin Shire, and those that like to visit Grenfell. We all love what is a beautiful town full of beautiful people. And the Grenfell Main Street project, it's been a long-running issue, it's been a difficult project at times, but the community has stuck together through thick and thin, led by the council.
They've had a bit of assistance from public works, which I was very proud to be able to bring to the table, and at the end of the day, we have now a largely finished Main Street. It's been officially opened; I think there's some festoon lights to be put up yet, but that's really just those last-minute decorations, I guess, that will really give it some additional life. But by-and-large, the project is complete, and we're very, very happy about that.
Rich Spence: And it'll bring a great atmosphere to the town, especially leading into Christmas this year.
Steph Cooke: Yes, absolutely. And let's not forget the Henry Lawson Festival. By next year, it will be well and truly settled down, and visitors coming into our region will have the opportunity to see all of the good work that's been done in that community to bring this project to life and complete it.
Rich Spence: Last week I spoke to the Sisters of Mercy, celebrating 100 years in Young. Now there's some centenary celebrations for CWA as well in Cowra, Young, and Boorowa.
Steph Cooke: Yes, it's been a big year for CWA across our region. A few weeks ago, I attended the 100th birthday of the Cowra CWA branch. Last weekend was the same for Young, and of course, we've got Boorowa just around the corner. So it gives me yet another opportunity to recognise this amazing milestone for these branches and just acknowledge the long history of dedication by their members to enriching our lives.
Right across New South Wales, they do such a magnificent job; they're always championing local important causes. They're wonderful, absolutely wonderful, and I really enjoy those celebrations.
Rich Spence: And all the cooking and the recipes; Boorowa celebration is on tomorrow, incidentally, in the park, a community event.
Steph Cooke: Absolutely. And they're really, really lovely events. I mean, both Cowra and Young, they had wonderful luncheons. It was a real opportunity for women to come together and reflect on all that's been achieved over many, many years, and have a bit of a laugh about the funny things that have happened over the years, and reflect on the contributions of members that are still part of the branches and others that have sadly passed away.
I can only hope that these branches stay strong for another 100 years because they're so important to maintaining the social fabric of our local communities.
Rich Spence: They certainly are. And a boost to the firefighting recruits in Temora?
Steph Cooke: Goodness, I've been pretty busy, haven't I. There's all sorts of things going on, and this is another really exciting development this time for the community of Temora where they have welcomed three new recruits into the local brigade. So I had the opportunity to visit them, and there was an official welcoming event where they were presented with T-shirts from the brigade. And it was also an opportunity to recognise long service as well by one of their firefighters, Josh Hale.
And once again, they're a really strong brigade in Temora; there's so many fire brigades in the Cootamundra electorate. They all do a wonderful job of keeping us safe; when everyone else is running away from danger, they are heading into it, and they do so because they feel it's important to protect our local community. So, we're very grateful to them for their service, and it's wonderful to be able to recognise and welcome three new recruits into the Temora Brigade.
Rich Spence: It most certainly is, and the National Cherry Festival, everyone looks forward to that each year. That starts next Friday, and there's celebrations right through the week, into the weekend.
Steph Cooke: The National Cherry Festival is just such a great weekend for locals and for visitors coming into our region, and such a great opportunity for us to showcase what is a really, really wonderful part of New South Wales.
There's the chance for people to get out on farm, to pick their own cherries; it's just such a wonderful atmosphere. And of course, the parade is always such a highlight, along with the many other activities. There's plenty going on, and I would just encourage everyone to get out and support our local businesses and support our community more broadly; let's get out and have fun towards the end of the year.
Rich Spence: Yeah, why not. And not only the cherry orchards, but there's combined cherry orchards and wineries and individual wineries as well. I had the pleasure of joining the volunteers of Meals on Wheels Young yesterday at Grove Estate, and it was a beautiful place to go, and great to meet all those volunteers.
Steph Cooke: Oh, absolutely. And you're quite right, we have a really strong and thriving wine industry across the Hilltops region, award-winning, renowned for what they produce. Where we live is so diversified in terms of agriculture and horticulture, and there's a really, really strong sense of community around what they contribute.
Rich Spence: There’s no doubt about that. Okay Steph, we certainly got through a lot there today. Thank you very much for joining me. We'll have to work out whether we can speak again before Christmas; hopefully we can do that.
Steph Cooke: I would love to do that Rich, and given that next week is the last week of Parliament, by the time I see you next, it should be in studio, which will be fantastic.