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BRIGHT - POREPUNKAH - MT BEAUTY - TAWONGA - TAWONGA SOUTH Wednesday, March 30, 2022
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Bright off to a flyer
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PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: Studying some finer details after touring Bright Hospital last week were (from left) Alpine Health acting health services manager at Bright Lesley Finch, Alpine Health CEO Nick Shaw, Labor’s Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing Ged Kearney, Indi Labor candidate Nadia David, and Alpine Health board chair Donovan Jacka. PHOTO: Jenny Zamperoni
We’ll examine plan Labor visit buoys y hopes p of funding g for Bright g Health Precinct
By MARTIN DAVIS FEDERAL Labor has agreed to examine the business case for development of the $40 million proposed Bright Health Precinct. The Labor Party’s Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing, Ged Kearney, toured the Bright hospital with Indi candidate Nadia David, in the company of Alpine Health chief executive officer Nick Shaw last week.
The visit allowed Ms Kearney to get a greater appreciation of the entire proposed precinct, with specific focus on the $26 million in federal funding sought to develop a new 35 bed high needs aged care facility. While Ms Kearney was not in a position to commit funding for the development then and there, ahead of the imminent federal election, she said Ms David had been
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a strong advocate for the local community and the need, and that her party would examine the business case for the precinct. “The Alpine region has been let down and ignored when it comes to health and aged care funding by the Coalition,” Ms Kearney said. “Sadly, we’re seeing this trend of neglect and underinvestment in rural areas right around the country.” Ms Kearney praised the
local work force, who were “working so hard to support the community, particularly the elderly despite not having enough resources to support them”. Mr Shaw said he was appreciative of the opportunity to show Ms David and Ms Kearney the current facilities and the need for the precinct development. “The development seeks to establish health service security for the Bright
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and district community, providing for the first time for the Bright community a residential care facility built to high care and ageing standards,” he said. Both federal and state government funding are yet to be secured to deliver the $40 million Bright Health Precinct, as outlined in the masterplan completed late last year. Under the plan, Bright is seeking a new 35 bed
high care aged care facility with the potential of an additional 2 x 7 bed units to become a total of 49 aged care beds; the existing hospital and its nine acute rooms will be modernised and a new palliative care suite created; Hawthorn Village (current aged hostel facility) will be re-purposed for nurse education and health worker accommodation; and there is potential for a private medical centre to be co-located on site.