THE BYRON SHIRE
F R U S E STAT AVING LIFE S ips
Volume 25 #40 Tuesday, March 15, 2011 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,000 copies every week
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NSW PAGE 31
U N L I M I T E D D O W N LO A D S A N D B A N D W I D T H T O S PA R E
Leaked hospital plans raise questions
Report says Mullum best option – so why Ewingsdale? Hans Lovejoy
Documents leaked to The Echo have revealed the proposed new hospital in Ewingsdale will not be built at the preferred site, and will be no better equipped than the current hospitals in Byron and Mullumbimby combined. The leaked document entitled ‘Byron Shire Major Hospital Site,’ was prepared by Lennox-based consultants GeoLink in 2001. The ten-year-old report notes, ‘facilities at both locations are in urgent need of upgrading.’ Both the Shire’s current hospitals provide 54 beds, according to the Department of Health’s website. This is also the same number of beds as the proposed Ewingsdale facility. Currently the land, which was purchased by the Health Department in 2006, is being rezoned. Council told The Echo they are ‘anticipating it will
sewage use,’ says the report. ‘The areas available are in small sections around Ocean Shores to the north of the Shire, and at the Mullumbimby Hospital site where the property has extra sewage credits available (as of 2001).’ The document concludes by saying, ‘In consideration of all the combined core restraints, certain land in Ocean Shores and the Mullumbimby Hospital site are the only sites available in our opinion having regard to relevant environmental planning restraints‌ as specified by the Northern Rivers Area Health Service, indicating that the Mullumbimby Hospital is a suitable location for the new Byron Shire major hospital.’ Few areas suitable for The reports states that ‘Mullum has sewage credits for a 42 bed hospital’, hospital sewage though when the report was written ‘There are very few areas suitable in 2001, it operated with 20 beds. for development in regards to hospital When asked about the difference
be gazetted at the end of September this year.’ The client brief, according to the report, is to examine the environmental and planning constraints for a proposed hospital site in the northeastern section of the Shire, and a review of the current Mullumbimby hospital site as a potential site for a major hospital. It also defines the requirements hospitals need to operate. These include being flood free and allowing for future expansion. Water, electricity and sewerage also need to be easily connected, as does public transport need to be available or have the potential for public transport.
in beds, the Northern Rivers Health Service told The Echo, ‘Mullumbimby & District War Memorial Hospital was built in the early 1960s and records for this period are not readily available. Bed numbers at the hospital have been at or around 28 for the last eighteen to twenty years.’ The direct question regarding what the rooms are being used for was unanswered by the media spokesperson. They did, however, explain the amalgamation of the two hospitals. ‘By bringing the two hospitals together, there will not only be the same services available, but greater flexibility in how these services are provided to patients due to the larger critical mass of the facility. ‘For example, the emergency department will provide 24 hour on-site medical cover.’ The concern that emergency cases would still have to be transported to Tweed will remain but be less common, according to the spokesperson. ‘When the new Byron Shire Hospital is operating, fewer emergencies will be transported to the Tweed Hospital.’
MP Don Page responds
Film Fest wraps up Nathan Hunt’s movie, The Bleed, earned him the title of best young filmmaker at this year’s Byron International Film Festival. Nathan is being warmly congratulated by the festival PR person Jen Sta. Photo Jeff ‘Cast Couch’ Dawson
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State MP Don Page told The Echo, ‘There have been many things happen since 2001. The initial impetus for thinking in terms of a larger, better hospital at Ewingsdale started around the time it was discovered Mullumbimby Hospital had serious asbestos problems in its roof and had to be closed so the asbestos could be contained. ‘The Health Department believed that it would be better to have one bigger better hospital servicing Byron Shire than two smaller hospitals and commenced a community consultation process. A community committee from both the north and south of the Shire was formed and they agreed to support a larger, new, better hospital offering more services for Byron Shire residents. Current beds in Mullumbimby are 26 but only 16 are funded.
Affordable Housing Forum this Wednesday The Echo’s Affordable Housing Forum will take place this Wednesday at 6:30pm for 7pm, at the Byron Community Centre. It will be a child-friendly event featuring national affordability advocate Professor Julian Disney, the voices of those affected by the crisis, a key announcement on the issue by the Byron Community Centre’s Paul Spooner, a public discussion, and a cameo role by Mandy Nolan. For those who can’t attend, the event will be streamed live on the Byron Community Centre website.
Byron Bay Hospital has 28 but only 18 are funded. The new Central Hospital will have at least 54 beds. No hospital will close until a new Central Hospital is open. ‘Once a new Central Hospital is built there will be community health centres in Mullumbimby, Ocean Shores and Byron Bay. A new ambulance station will be built there as soon as the rezoning process is completed in a month or so. Funding for the ambulance station is in the current state budget and can be spent immediately. There will be transport difficulties for those without a car or access to a car but one of the criteria was to have a site which is readily available by ambulance for emergencies so a site near the highway was deemed to be desirable. As the Health Service has pointed out, patients going to hospital do not do so on a regular basis and are almost always travelling by car with a friend or family member. ‘The Coalition, if elected on March 26, has indicated we will complete the planning process including an updated service plan, costings, etc so the project is “shovel ready�,’ Mr Page said. In related news, a Tamworth hospital plan has been accepted as eligible for $220 million funding under the federal government’s Health and Hospital Fund. The announcement was made by the Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor.
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