GREENS VISIT HIGHLIGHTS CLARENCE HEALTH ISSUES

By TIM HOWARD

It will take more than a $263.5 million Grafton Base Hospital expansion to fix the broken health system in the Clarence Valley says NSW Greens Upper House MP Dr Amanda Cohn.

Dr Cohn was in Grafton last Monday and Tuesday campaigning with Greens Lower House candidate Dr Greg Clancy.

On Monday Dr Cohn met with members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association and the Grafton Based Hospital Committee to talk about health issues facing the region.

Dr Cohn agreed the government had clearly never intended to begin construction of the hospital this term.

But her main concern was a shortage of trained medical staff at both the Clarence Valley hospitals, which has led to the Clarence hospitals being unable to fulfil obligations to patients.

“The reliance on agency staff at GBH and Maclean is something that worries local nursing staff,” Dr Cohn said.

She was also concerned the GP shortage in the region was placing increase strain on the hospitals’ emergency departments.

“The committee members, (Roy Bell, Des Harvey and Phil Belletty) told me there is a six-week wait to see your GP,” Dr Cohn said.

“And if your not on the books with a doctor, you can’t get in and must go to the hospital to be seen by a doctor.”

She said both issues were something the government could do something about.

“For nurses the public services wages cap is both deterring people from taking up nursing and driving current nurses away,” she said.

“We know this for sure, because in Victoria and Queensland, where nurses pay and conditions has been legislated to improve, these issues are not a problem.”

She said nurses needed a safe nurse-to-patient ratio as well as an annual pay rise above the inflation rate.

Dr Cohn said the Northern Rivers’ proximity to Queensland was exacerbating the problem.

“We know this works because we can see it happening in other state,” she said.

“Nursing are going across the border in droves, because they know a job with better pay and conditions is there for them, sometimes just an hour or two’s drive away.

“I was a GP in Albury, on the Victorian border and we had similar issues when I was practising.”

She said the government also needed to to something to make it more attractive for medical graduates to take up general practice and head to the bush.

“Young doctors just out of medical school are not wanting to become GPs,” she said. “And why would they? Choosing to be a GP instead of going into a specialist field means an instant pay cut.

As the Greens’ health spokesperson Dr Cohn said the government needs to underwrite the pay and conditions gap between a GP and a specialist so a rural GP was earning at a similar rate to a city specialist.

She said Greens health policy would bolster the public community health sector so you can access a GP, allied health professional, dentist or mental health professional through your local public community health centre - for free.

She said the Greens were not happy with proposals to allow other health professionals, such as pharmacists and nurses to take on some of the work of doctors.

“We’ve seen some dangerous situations arise when professionals take on role outside their areas,” she said.

“Pharmacists are trained to see pharmacological solutions to health problems,” she said.

“But a doctor is trained to see a range of treatments or which drugs are just one part.

“Patients deserve to have the full range of treatment options open to them.”

Dr Clancy said it had been a boost to his campaign to have the party’s health spokesperson on the campaign trail.

“She’s almost certain to get in and if we have the balance of power in the Upper House she will be able to put the pressure on the government to improve health in the state,” he said.

MULTI-MILLION INVESTMENT BY NSW NATIONALS IN GOVERNMENT TO FLOOD-PROOF RICHMOND AND CLARENCE VALLEY ROADS

A huge $34.5 million will be invested by the NSW Nationals in Government to foodproof critical road networks across the Richmond and Clarence valleys, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis.

Mr Gulaptis was joined by the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Sam Farraway, Richmond Valley Mayor, Robert Mustow and Nationals Candidate for Clarence, Richie Williamson on Monday at Naughtons Gap in Casino to make the multi-million-dollar announcement.

The new Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package, funded jointly by the NSW and Federal Governments, will allow roads and transport assets to be built rebuilt to a higher standard to withstand future extreme natural weather events.

“Richie and I have been in the ear of the Minister advocating for funding to upgrade critical road networks that were impacted by fooding and serve as important links to communities across the Richmond and Clarence valleys,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“We’re delighted to see that three projects put forward by Richmond and Clarence Valley councils - Naughtons Gap Road at Casino,

Woodburn-Coraki Road and Yamba Road between Harwood and Palmers Channel – will receive funding so councils can food-proof them.”

Mr Gulaptis said a major landslip occurred during last year’s food event on Naugtons Gap Road in Casino, which is a critical road network linking the beef capital to Lismore, and services a large rural residential area including school bus routes.

“Richmond Valley Council identifed the road as its number one priority to seek funding so it could be rebuilt to a higher standard, and we have awarded Council with just over $3 million dollars so it can,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“Council was also successful in securing nearly $2 million to design and construct the installation of culverts on Woodburn-Coraki Road,” Mr Gulaptis said.

Mr Gulaptis said almost $10 million will also be invested in upgrading Yamba Road between the Harwood Bridge and Palmers Island.

“This section of Yamba Road is a low spot that causes early closure of the road during fooding,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“Clarence Valley Council proposes to lift the road level at South Bank Road at Palmers

HIKERS REJOICE! A NEW WALK IS ON THE HORIZON IN WOLLUMBIN NP

Channel and install additional drainage structures and pavement resilience on the lowlying areas of Yamba Road.”

Mr Gulaptis said the NSW Nationals in Government would also invest over $21 million to upgrade sections of the Summerland Way, Gwydir and Bruxner highways and the Yamba off-ramp on the Pacifc Highway.

Welcoming the huge injection of road funding, Nationals Candidate for Clarence, Richie Williamson said foodproofng important roads across said regional communities like the Richmond and Clarence Valleys deserved the same quality of road that Sydneysiders are used to.

“As a former Mayor, I know how critical it is to have support from government to help upgrade local roads, and it’s terrifc to see this massive investment by the NSW Nationals in Government to make roads in regional communities as safe as possible,” Mr Williamson said.

Nationals Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said Mr Gulaptis and Mr Williamson had managed to secure 11 of just 57 projects rolling out across the state.

By MARGARET DEKKER

A new, short trek through some pristine country in Wollumbin National Park beyond Burringbar and Murwillumbah, is being planned by National Parks and Wildlife.

Public submissions on a draft master plan for the proposed ‘Caldera Rim Walk’ closed this week. The plan ‘provides overarching concepts’ for the proposed 8-kilometre (return) half-day bushwalk, and associated facilities in Wollumbin National Park.

The proposed walk would be a Grade 4 hiking track in accordance with the Australian Walking Track Grading system. It would offer a challenge to bushwalkers, climbing over 500 metres in elevation to the top of the inner Tweed Caldera through rainforest, wet sclerophyll and drier eucalypt forest, with spectacular views of the Wollumbin summit and surrounding caldera.

Welcome to the end of the valley!

“A new walking track in the Tweed Byron hinterland ..”

Tweed Coast to cater for a diverse range of user groups, including locals and tourists. The awardwinning Minyon Falls precinct opened in 2022 and the multi-day Tweed Byron Hinterland Trails project is currently being constructed,” the draft Master Plan added.

“NPWS is committed to working with the Bundjalung community to ensure their cultural heritage is acknowledged, protected and respected as a part of living culture.”

The trail head for

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“Characterised by lush rainforests, mountain views, countless waterfalls and hidden rockpools, this region has the potential for an immersive hiking experience in pristine nature. Close to the popular tourist destination of Byron Bay, this region has high visitation and easy accessibility via Gold Coast and Ballina/Byron Airports,” The Caldera Rim Walk draft master plan promotes.

“Visitor planning in the region aims to provide a varied suite of complementary recreation opportunities accessible from Murwillumbah and the the Caldera Rim Walk is proposed off Tyalgum Road along the existing Tweed Hinterland Rainforest Way Scenic Drive from Murwillumbah. The 8km return walk would journey south to a summit.

The draft master plan also suggests possible future options to extend the walk, which would expand the integrated visitor experiences in the area and cater for a diverse range of bushwalking experiences.

To download the whole proposal document, including maps, visit: environment.nsw.gov.au/ caldera