Wednesday May 5, 2021
Volume 36 No. 16
$1
inc. GST
The Cobar Weekly RFW charity riders roll into town Pg 3
Mayor gives evidence at rural health inquiry Pg 4
New doctor moves to Cobar for lifestyle change Pg 6
Rural Health Inquiry panel comes to Cobar As part of a parliamentary inquiry into health outcomes and services in rural, regional and remote areas of NSW, members of the committee were in Cobar on Friday to hear first-hand issues that locals were experiencing with the health system. Chair of the Upper House Health Committee, the Hon Greg Donnelly MLC, said this was a critical stage of the inquiry process. Mr Donnelly praised the local community members who gave evidence to the inquiry and also residents from Bourke and Condobolin. “This is the second day of our public hearings, which are going to run through to December this year,” Mr Donnelly said. “With the production of a report and recommendations early in the new year, it just would not be possible for us to do an inquiry without coming out to the communities to hear first hand from various individuals through to organisations and stakeholders and everyone in between, about matters associated with health and medical issues and outcomes in those communities.” Mr Donnelly said the quality of the evidence they had heard at the Cobar hearing had been “excellent”. “In two respects, we received very good submissions that people produced and sent to the inquiry Secretariat, which we’ve had a chance to read and look at, and that’s provided excellent insights into the matters. “And then that’s been backed up today, with people coming along, and providing additional information about their evidence,” Mr Donnelley told The Cobar Weekly at the conclusion of Friday’s proceedings. “And importantly, it was an opportunity for us to probe them a bit about the points they
rise to clarify and provide more information.” fronting personal accounts and they have also Mr Donnelly said throughout the inquiry been made aware of a number of problems process the panel has heard a number of con- with the health system. Continued Page 2.
The NSW Rural Health Inquiry panel is represented by Members of the Legislative Council from all of the major parties including Walt Secord (Labor), the chair Greg Donnelly (Labor), Cate Faehrmann (Greens), Wes Fang (Nationals) and Liberals’ Lou Amato who was absent at the time this photo was taken. The panel was in Cobar on Friday to hear first-hand evidence of the bad (and good) experiences locals (along with Bourke and Condobolin residents) have had with the health system.