AN upgrade of Inverell District Hospital was discussed at a meeting between eight of the region’s mayors and council general managers with the Member for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall, on Thursday.
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Funding worth about $6 billion is estimated to become available for country NSW from the government’s long-term lease of metropolitan electricity poles and wires, and if the government is re-elected next year, the money will go into a Regional Infrastructure Fund.
While Mr Marshall said he was pleased with the outcome of his meeting with local government representatives, he wanted to get ‘ahead of the pack’.
"Rather than waiting until after the election, I want our region's projects to be front and centre in the consideration phase to give us the very best possible chance of securing a large slice of the funding pie," Mr Marshall said.
"All projects will have to be properly costed, business cases developed and then finally assessed by Infrastructure NSW.”
In the case of the Inverell District Hospital, it means that elusive and long-awaited Clinical Services Plan would need to be completed, and in the past that is something Hunter New England Health Services has said was not even being considered.
“The meeting was held against the background that there is a number of matters that need to fall in place before any of the outcomes of those discussions can be given effect to,” general manager of the Inverell Shire Council, Paul Henry, said.
“Obviously, the government has to be re-elected and the proposal to lease the poles and wires has to go through. So if you put those two preconditions aside it was a positive meeting.
“The Armidale hospital redevelop-ment was supported, as was the need to upgrade the Inverell and Glen Innes hospitals.
“The projects that were put forward on health included the preparation of a clinical services plan for Inverell and Glen Innes.”
Mr Marshall said he would not speculate on projects being funded, and denied the $6 billion was being used as a carrot for voters.
“That’s not the case.
“When people go to the ballot box on March 28 next year, I would hope all people, regardless of who they vote for think carefully about many issues,” he said.
“I don’t think that’s a gun to be held at the electorate’s head.
“It’s certainly not my intention to do that, but it is the reality that the government will be taking that policy to the election.”