THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 30 #21 Wednesday, November 4, 2015
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F O R T H E LO V E O F I N K O N PA P E R
CAB AUDIT
Farewell to Aquarius Festival founder, Paul Joseph – p5
The times of Paul Keating, as told by Keating and Kerry O’Brien – p7
netdaily Former ‘boat person’ now a leading surgeon
Online in
www.echo.net.au/former-boat-personnow-a-leading-orthopaedic-surgeon
Hospital staff call Bruns becomes infected for job certainty Hans Lovejoy
While the construction of the new Byron Central Hospital continues ahead of schedule, unions representing local health professionals say they are facing job insecurity owing to bureaucrats not providing staffing plans. Both the NSW Nurses And Midwives Association (NSWNMA) and Health Services Union (HSU) say they have concerns over the ‘ongoing delay in providing information to staff about staffing and service provision arrangements at the new Byron Central Hospital (BCH).’ ‘Staff employed at both the hospitals and community health centres are experiencing stress and anxiety as the BCH workforce plan has not yet been released, despite repeated assurances that it would be forthcoming on a number of occasions over the last six to eight weeks.’ The Echo sought a reply from NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner, who replied, ‘The people of the Byron Shire will soon have a brand new hospital to deliver the health services they need now and into the future. It will be staffed appropriately.’ ‘The Northern NSW Local Health District has advised every effort is being made to ensure staff who work at neighbouring health services, including the Mullumbimby and Byron District Hospitals, will be placed into positions at the new Byron Central Hospital when it opens in mid-2016. In addition to the community meeting on construction of the $88 million Byron Central Hospital this Wednes-
day – where surgery services will also be discussed – the Local Health District will brief staff on the workforce plan in the coming weeks.’ Additionally, NNSW LHD CEO Chris Crawford replied that he is planning to brief staff on the Workforce Position Plan at Byron Central Hospital in the next two weeks. ‘Hospital staff are either permanent full-time or part-time employees, and none of these staff will be forced to take a redundancy. Some staff will also have the option to work in neighbouring hospitals and community health services.’
Questions remain Yet many questions put to Ms Skinner and Mr Crawford from the two unions remain unanswered. They include: ‘How many beds will be opened initially in the Inpatient Unit? ‘Will service and staffing decisions be made according to the Clinical Service Plan 2012 that informed the design of the hospital? ‘When will a decision be made regarding the privatisation of some segments of the medical imaging department? When will the sub-acute Mental Health unit be opened? ‘Will the sub-acute Mental Health Unit be managed separately to the hospital and community health services?’ Q A community update on the new hospital is scheduled from 5pm on Wednesday November 4 at the Byron at Byron resort.
Traditionally the second scariest time of year after tax time, Halloween on October 31 brought out the decaying worst in ex-people. This motley crew comprises Maya, Caroline, Oscar, Shoallea, Nini, Chilali and Maximo, who were seen at Brunswick’s Halloween Fairtastic last Saturday. Photo Jeff ‘Zombied’ Dawson
Community group loses Roundhouse case Chris Dobney
A Ocean Shores community group has lost a Land and Environment Court challenge to prevent Byron Shire Council selling the 11 blocks of the old Roundhouse site. Justice Pain dismissed the case presented by the Ocean Shores Community Association (OSCA) last Friday and found in favour of Byron
Council with costs to be determined. The settlements of the sales of the 11 lots have been finalised. The OSCA committee (Toni Spruce, Jan Mangleson and John Youdan) released a statement on the sale of the land. ‘In the messages that are coming through about this loss, it was recognised that Ocean Shores had fought for many years to keep this land,
and there was no option but to try to keep the land as community, even if it meant going to court against the council,’ they said. The council went down the NSW government gateway determination process to change the classification of the land so that it could be sold. This included compulsory public consultation. There were hopes that continued on page 2
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