Maitland Hospital battling to stay in public hands

BY JOSH SIM

Despite today's announcement by the State Government to keep Wyong Hospital in public hands, Maitland Hospital's future remains uncertain.

Maitland is one of three public hospitals, including Bowral and Shellharbour, that Unions NSW are campaigning against proposed privatisation.

Secretary for Unions NSW, Mark Morey says the privatisation of a hospital already run on a tight budget means any new owner would have to make cuts, either to jobs or patient care, to turn a profit.

'Public health should be in public hands, and it's not fair to privatise it and reduce services for working people,' Mr. Morey said.

'NSW is growing and it needs investment in its hospitals, not cost cutting sell-offs.'

Morey has urged any Hunter resident that feels strongly about keeping Maitland Hospital public to contact their local MP and strongly object to the privatisation of their hospital.

Maitland Hospital. Source: Singleton Argus

Rally to Save Maitland Hospital

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

Hundreds of health workers, unionists and community members are expected to join together at Maitland Park this Sunday to protest the privatisation of Maitland Hospital.

The "Keep Our Hospitals Public" rally will be held from 12 noon to 2pm with the hopes of bringing the community together on this issue.

NSW Health Services Union Secretary, Gerard Hayes. [Image:Image: http://www.2gb.com/article/gerard-hayes-%E2%80%93
-secretary-health-services-union]

NSW Health Services Union Secretary, Gerard Hayes says it is important for people to band together. 

"No individual can win this, this is a community issue," he said. "They own that hospital. It's not for the government to give away but the only way we can fight this is by coming together as a community.

"We need to ensure that services at Maitland hospital are maintained and extended, not moved to John Hunter hospital and that profits don't come before services that the community need."

According to Mr. Hayes, this decision has not been made in the interest of the wider community.

"This is an attack on regional NSW," he said. "The private sector is about making money.

"We cannot get to a point that if you're wealthy, you can access services and if you don't then you either have to go on a waiting list or maybe go to Newcastle."

He says a hospital is not for the government to profit from and asks for a change in direction.

"The fact of the matter is what goes on in the hospital is the responsibility of Health," he said.

"It is not the responsibility or to be abdicated to the private sector."

The rally will continue to be advertised over the next couple of days and Gerard Hayes encourages people to come along.

Council rejects additional lots in Raworth

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

An application to add extra lots to the sub-division of RAYWORTH has been rejected by MAITLAND City Council.

Residents in the area expressed outrage at the proposal made by HDB Town Planning and Design to increase the fifty-lot development to fifty-three.They claimed any additional lots would be incompatible with the character and amenity of their neighbourhood.

Maitland Councillor, Steve Proctor said the community's reaction was a major factor in Council's final decision.

Maitland Councillor Steve Proctor [Image: Maitland Mercury]

"The whole reason that it was rejected was the community weren't happy with the proposal of these additional lots," he said. "In that particular neighbourhood, there are no 450-square metre lots.

"It's just not suitable, it's just not fitting and the community deserve better and that's the way 11 out of 12 councillors voted."

Councillor Bob Geoghegan was the sole councillor who supported the additional lots and claimed they complied with case laws.

Councillor Proctor says this was not a good enough reason to approve the application.

"Lots of things comply," he said. "What eleven out of the twelve councillors said was it was outside the amenity of that particular area.

"It would be acceptable in a high-density area like Aberglassyn or Windella but not in a semi-rural location."

According to Councillor Proctor, Council's final decision provided the fairest outcome for all involved.

"Maitland Council doesn't want to favour developers," he said. "We want everyone to have a fair go and in this case, I believe this outcome is the best for all.

"We're talking fifty lots. That's still a good size sub-division. Fifty-three would have overdone it.

"It would have spoiled what is otherwise a good sub-division."