A petition to highlight the importance of a new Bairnsdale hospital has been launched by Nationals’ candidate for Gippsland East, Gemma Rendell, and current member, Tim Bull.
Ms Rendell said upgrading the emergency department is the most urgent priority within the broader hospital redevelopment – which will be delivered in stages.
“As a young mother with extended family in the area, having a health service that can meet both our current and future needs is incredibly important,” Ms Rendell said.
“Tim has been highlighting this issue for years and, prior to the last election, committed to delivering a new hospital for the community. Labor, however, remained silent and ignored the urgent need for investment, and failed to fund this critical upgrade.
“As the candidate for Gippsland East, I don’t want to see the Bairnsdale Regional Health Service upgrade dropping off the radar, and I am launching this petition to ensure it remains front and centre in the lead up to the election later this year.
“Having been in talks with the hospital, I am aware of the intention to rebuild the facility in stages with the priority being the emergency department, which simply does not have capacity to cater for current demand, let alone future demand.
“The current nine cubicle emergency department only has one resuscitation bay, whereas the population modelling indicates this was well short of requirements in 2023 – and the Labor Government has done nothing in the three years since,” she said.
Ms Rendell encouraged everyone in the community to sign the petition both to keep it on this government’s radar and allow her to take up the battle as the election drew closer later this year.
“As I travel around the electorate, the two issues that keep popping up are roads and the Bairnsdale hospital. Both need investment.”
Mr Bull said people can sign the petition on-line or at one of the many retail businesses in the area that have agreed to host the petition.
Caption: The Nationals’ candidate for Gippsland East, Gemma Rendell, with the Leader of the Liberal Party, Jess Wilson, and Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, were in Bairnsdale recently launching the petition.
