The saga of a new hospital continued today with the announcement by Health Minister Kim Hames that the interests of the ring tailed possum would be represented on a newly-formed community reference group set up to guide the development phase of the new Health Campus.
The irony is that had the government not reneged on building a new hospital at Vasse Newtown, Busselton would already have its new hospital and the ring tailed possums would not have been disturbed at the old site. A politically expedient decision saw the plans for a new hospital shelved in response to a community preference for refurbishing the old hospital.
Now the cost of refurbishing has blown out beyond the orginal cost of the new hospital, leading to the abandonment of the refurbishing plan and a decision to build a new hospital at the old site.
This brings with it the problems associated with not only disturbing the possums, but the delivery of existing services while construction takes place.
“The Busselton Health Campus is a major project which is going to have a significant benefit for the residents and visitors to this rapidly growing area of the South-West,” Dr Hames said.
He said a Ministerial nomination to the group would ensure an avenue for the direct flow of information to and from the State Government.
“While the reference group is not a decision-making body, its members will play a vital role in providing meaningful and constructive input so that there is minimum disruption and maximum benefit to the community.”
“Members will, for instance, put forward views about management of the ringtailed possum habitat and maintenance of services during construction,” Dr Hames said.
The reference group will be chaired by Grace Ley, South West Acting Regional Director for WA Country Health Service (WACHS)