‘ONE LAST PUSH’: HEALTH PETITION HITS FINAL STRETCH
- Steph Cooke MP
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
Updated: May 9
Wednesday, 30 April 2025
A petition initiated by Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke to prevent the closure of Cootamundra Hospital’s Pathology Lab needs just one thousand signatures for the matter to be debated in Parliament.
Ms Cooke said the end is in sight following a massive community response, with the petition proving just how united the electorate is about safeguarding the vital health service.
“There is no single town in the Cootamundra electorate with ten thousand people which has meant that the whole electorate has had to unite around this cause,” said Ms Cooke.
“We’re less than five months into the launch of this petition and we’re almost there. What I’d really like to see is for us to get across that ten thousand signature mark as that will allow the members of Parliament to really understand how important this issue is to us.”
NSW Health Pathology is proposing to close the laboratory in Cootamundra and relocate its staff and resources to the Young Health Service.
Ms Cooke said that the decision would force skilled laboratory staff and their families to leave Cootamundra and impact health outcomes for patients who depend on rapid diagnosis tests.
“The overwhelming response from people is that they don’t want this laboratory at the Cootamundra Hospital to close,” Ms Cooke said.
“We know that we are on the right side of this issue, this is an important service, and we need this laboratory to stay open.”
Those who haven’t yet signed the petition can do so by heading to https://www.stephcooke.com.au/health-petition and printing out the petition form.
Signees will need to fill out the petition form in full, including their address as it would appear on the electoral role.
Petition forms can be posted to or handed directly to Ms Cooke’s electorate offices in Junee or Young.
