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Friday, January 27, 2023
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CABINET RETURN ON CARDS FOR PENRITH MP
PREMIER: MY PLAN FOR STUART The State Election will become a referendum on the future of Penrith MP Stuart Ayres, with confirmation he will return to Cabinet if the Coalition retains government and Ayres wins his seat. Emily Feszczuk reports on page 2
Stuart Ayres and Dominic Perrottet. Photo: Melinda Jane.
LABOR REVEALS PLAN FOR MUCH-NEEDED HEALTH FACILITY AT AEROTROPOLIS
HOSPITAL READY FOR TAKE-OFF CASSIDY PEARCE
L
abor will ease the pressure on Nepean Hospital and other western Sydney health facilities by building a major hospital at the Aerotropolis. Opposition Leader Chris Minns made the announcement during a visit to Luddenham on Monday. However, he confirmed it would not be completed in his first term as Premier.
“The Government has dragged its feet on this for too long,” Minns said. “We’ve seen time and time again, new areas developed, houses built and people moving in, but the important infrastructure isn’t there.” Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park said a new hospital would be desperately needed in the area. “The population that’s going to grow here and call this home is going to be significant,
and in the two health districts that surround this area, there were 11,000 people in the last quarter who went into the ED and didn’t get treated, and we’ve got to do better than that,” he said. “We can’t afford to wait and do what other governments in the past have traditionally done, which is wait until residents are in the home, and then start planning for a hospital. We’ve got to do that different, and we’ve got to do it right.”
While Nepean Hospital is undergoing the biggest upgrade in its history under the current government, population growth in Penrith and surrounding areas will likely ensure pressure on the health system remains. Minns said it was “the least people can expect” that governments prioritise infrastructure in booming areas. Full story on » p. 5
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