Asbestos Discovered at Glendale Technology High School Yet to be Cleaned Up 14 Months After Discovery

BY LAURA RUMBEL 

Questions are being raised as to why asbestos has not been cleaned up at Glendale Technology High School, 14 months after being discovered. 

On February 28 2020, in-ground asbestos material was discovered in the school's basketball courts and retaining walls. 

The area was immediately restricted and secured from students and staff.

The School's P&C and Department of Education Asset Management Unit have reportedly both raised concerns about the ongoing degradation of the asbestos.

State Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery says the closure of the school's basketball courts has notably reduced the available outdoor sport and recreation areas for more than 850 students. 

"I just wonder why given this is such a huge safety issue and a promise by the Education Minister that this would be fixed by the end of last year that we're still waiting after 14 months for the removal of dangerous asbestos at a local high school," Ms Hornery said. 

In a statement the Department of Education said wellbeing and safety is of the highest priority and the management of asbestos is always taken seriously.

"When the asbestos was found, the Department took immediate action to protect public health, including isolating the area, making it safe and implementing air monitoring."

"In line with an independent hygienist’s recommendations, all exposed ACM fragments at the site were removed. The area has remained enclosed with fencing and access restricted, and will remain so until the area is remediated."

"An engineer was engaged to determine a method of encapsulation and the independent hygienist has provided a report to support the remediation strategy of encapsulating the walls with a method called shotcrete."

"Until the encapsulation works are undertaken the two basketball courts remain inaccessible."

State Government Asked to Rule Out Sell off or Shut Down of Wallsend Aged Care Facility

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Staff and patients at the Wallsend Aged Care Facility are raising concern the centre might be sold off or shut down. 

Patient numbers have reportedly dropped from 98 to 55 over the past 12 months, with staff reporting no new residents have been taken on since January 2020 last year, resulting in cuts to staff shifts.

The facility has also allegedly stopped taking on undergraduate Registered Nurses.

Wallsend MP, Sonia Hornery presented a notice of motion in parliament on Tuesday calling on the Health Minister to confirm there are no plans to close or privatise the State Government owned facility.

"It's a special facility, it looks after some of the most difficult cases of people with dementia that many other facilities wont take." 

Ms Hornery says successive Governments have attempted to close or privatise the facility in the past, including the NSW Labor Government in 2009, and the community have fought to keep it open. 

"The Government has a history of not maintaining the facility as they should."

In 2017, the facility failed an audit by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency, reportedly due to management failing to provide a safe and comfortable environment for residents.

Cleaning and catering staff were found to be under-resourced.

Ms Hornery says any move to close or sell the facility would simply be an attempt to cut costs. 

“I look forward to hearing from the Minister and I hope that the answer is what the community wants to hear because if it’s not, then he can expect another very public and vocal campaign, just like last time."

Hunter New England Health says residents and their families can continue to expect a high level of care at the facility, and while the organization didn't rule out staff have had their hours reduced, it says there have been no staff cuts.

 The facility continues to be staffed by registered nurses, including those completing the undergraduate program.

"Across the region, we have experienced a number of bed vacancies at our aged care facilities, due to the reluctance of families and carers to admit their loved ones during the pandemic," HNEH said in a statement.

"While we have not received any requests for admissions since March 2020, any future requests will be assessed through the usual processes. If the level of care is appropriate for the person’s needs, they will be admitted."

In 2020, the facility was surveyed by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and was found to be compliant with all Aged Care Quality Standards.

 The facility was commended on its high standard of clinical care, provided through feedback from residents and their families. 

The Health Minister has been contacted for comment. 

New Ambulance Stations Open at Birmingham Gardens and Rutherford

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Two new state of the art ambulance stations have been opened at Rutherford and Birmingham Gardens on Tuesday. 

They will replace ageing facilities in the area and expand operations, with additional resources for training and logistics. 

NSW Ambulance's, Jordan Emery, says the station at Birmingham Gardens means more paramedics for the community.

"We have 24 paramedics working out of here on a full time basis, and that means we operate two ambulance day shift  crews, an afternoon shift crew, and a night shift crew."

"They work in a network right across Newcastle, with a whole lot of other resources and neighboring stations to provide the most timely ambulance response to the community." 

Mr Martin said local paramedics were involved in designing the stations, which will better serve the needs of the community.

“The community can be assured that NSW Ambulance is committed to providing the best out-of-hospital clinical care to all patients across the region and throughout the state, even at times of high demand,” Mr Martin said.

The new purpose built stations feature: 

• Internal parking for up to seven emergency ambulance vehicles
• Administration and office areas'
• Staff amenities
• Multi-purpose meeting & training room
• Logistics and storage areas
• Wash bays
• Staff parking

In addition, the new station at Rutherford features an education facility and zone management office area.

NSW Ambulance Assistant Commissioner Clare Lorenzen said the new facilities are crucial services for thousands of residents.

“This project is an important step in the delivery of high-quality mobile emergency care to the people of Birmingham Gardens, Rutherford and surrounding areas,” Ms Lorenzen said.

The Birmingham Gardens Facility

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Natasha Maclaren-Jones, Deputy Director of Clinical Operations NSW Ambulance Jordon Emery, NSW Ambulance Assistant Commissioner Clare Lorenzen, Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin, Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery

Clare Lorenzen, and Jordon Emery

Hunter New England Health Working with Traffic Consultants to Fix Congestion at John Hunter Hospital

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Hunter New England Health acknowledge more needs to be done to reduce traffic gridlocks at John Hunter Hospital, while waiting for the completion of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass. 

Traffic conditions were temporarily eased last year due to covid-19, but have reportedly worsened in recent months.

Wallsend MP, Sonia Hornery moved a Notice of Motion in the NSW Parliament on Tuesday, calling on the Health and Transport Ministers to do more for the staff and visitors to John Hunter Hospital, who remain trapped in what she says is a "constant traffic nightmare."

The primary and secondary access points for the John Hunter campus are closely located to each other, and connected only to Lookout Road, a major road with significant traffic constraints. 

Peak hour traffic impacts heavily on Lookout Road causing delays stretching both North and South, which causes traffic congestion on the campus.

Staff and visitors to the Hospital reportedly face a daily wait of more than an hour just to exit the Hospital campus. 

In 2020, changes were made to the intersection at Jacaranda Drive and Lookout Road to allow vehicles to turn right.  

"While the recent works have had some impact on traffic flow, we acknowledge more needs to be done," Hunter New England Health's Executive Director Infrastructure and Planning, Dr Ramsey Awad says. 

Traffic planning for the $780 million investment in the John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct will include a direct connection to the new bypass interchange, being delivered as part of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass. 

Areas for additional parking and public transport connections will also be considered as part of the project’s planning process. 

"While traffic congestion will not be fully resolved until the Bypass is completed, we do recognise that shorter term solutions are needed in the meantime," Dr Awad says. 

 "We are currently considering strategies with the help of traffic consultants to identify additional improvements to traffic flow." 

Ms Hornery also called for the return of a shuttle bus service which ran from McDonald Jones Stadium, with John Hunter Staff reportedly starting their own petition calling for the reinstatement of the shuttle bus during peak hours.

“Since the Government cut the shuttle bus in 2015, the road around the hospital has become completely gridlocked at peak periods of the day," Ms Hornery says. 

“This impacts significantly on staff trying to get to school and childcare pickups on time for their children.  Parents are often very stressed, not knowing if they will make it in time to collect their children and often they are forced to call around to see who might be able to help them out.

“The one thing that is guaranteed to get traffic off the road is to give staff options to park and ride from Hunter Stadium." 

However Hunter New England Health say there are no plans to reinstate the shuttle bus service.

"It was introduced to ease car parking pressure before an additional 700 car parking spaces were provided at the hospital in 2015," Dr Awad says. 

"The shuttle bus transported a small number of people in the morning and afternoon peak times. Its return would have a minimal impact on reducing traffic congestion."

Image Credit: Daily Telegraph