People power headed to city

Radiation Treatment Working Party petition to be presented this week

Things are about to heat up in the community campaign for an establishment of radiation treatment services in the Limestone Coast.

In a bid to maximise the value of the $4.3million dollar Federal funding, allocated by the former Coalition Government in 2019, the community has now taken ownership of the project with a strong public campaign to entice State Government support.

The former State Liberal Government was not prepared to allocated funding to cover operational costs and the current State Government is also balking at providing operational funding for the proposed radiation treatment room.

That has seen public meetings, the establishment of a Radiation Treatment Working Party and now the power of the people will be head to the halls of power this week in the form of a petition that has garnered more than 20,000 signatures over the past three months.

Members of the Limestone Coast Radiation Treatment Working Party will be in Adelaide with the petition being presented in the State Parliament’s House of Assembly by the State Opposition.

Presentation of the petition is the latest tactic to not only drive home the passion within the commitment for a treatment centre but to somewhat force the hand of key State Government officials to come to the table with the working party – a meeting that has yet to be curated.

Member for Barker Tony Pasin, has left much of the recent campaigning to the working party and wider community but having advocated for the initial Federal funding, he is all in on seeing this developing of cancer treatment services in the region come to fruition.

“I began advocating to bring the radiation treatment services to the Limestone Coast in 2018,” Mr Pasin said. “While I celebrated the commitment from the Federal Government in 2019 to allocate $4.3million to the cause – I didn’t expect to have to fight the State Government to use it.

“I’m so thrilled at the community support for the issue. Not only does it tell me I was correct in advocating for the community back in 2018 in relation to radiation treatment but it tells the State Government that they need to take the issue seriously.”

Radiation Treatment Working Party chair Lachlan Haynes said the true costs of this travel was being born by the Limestone Coast community, both economically and socially.

“It’s weeks away from work, the lost income, travel and accommodation costs that hurts patients and our economy financially but more than that it’s the social costs - the separation from family, friends and community support networks” Mr Haynes said.

“Well over 16,000 physical signatures and over 4,000 online in just 11 weeks is a fantastic show of support for the cause. It speaks volumes about needs of the community.

“As a group we have worked hard to collect these signatures and we are really looking forward to the petition being presented in the State Parliament.”

And while Mr Pasin and the working party are looking forward to the impact the petition will have, there are other fronts to this battle as well.

“A petition with that many signatures is hard to ignore – it is a needle mover,” Mr Pasin said as he also tackled concerns over the funding of a feasibility study and the Limestone Coast Local Health Network’s proposal to utilise that $4.3million of Federal finances.

“The Radiation Treatment Working Party was recently informed by the Local Health Network of the State Government plan to spend $80,000 on a feasibility study regarding radiation treatment for the Limestone

Coast,” he said.

“While a feasibility study might sound great in theory, I’ve been around politics long enough to read between the lines. I’ve seen plenty of feasibility studies commissioned for the sole purpose of ending any prospect for success a particular proposal may have.

“The issue is about much more than economics. It’s about the health, wellbeing and social capital of the Limestone Coast and almost 20,000 residents have shown their support for the proposal without needing a feasibility if it is justified or not.”

And it is the community’s want for radiation treatment services that has Mr Pasin concerned about the Limestone Coast Local Health Network’s proposal for the Federal funding, which is described as ‘an infrastructure, equipment and refurbishment project’, including reconfiguring of consulting rooms, access road and car park development.

It would still see cancer patients required to travel to Adelaide or Warrnambool to receive radiation treatment, which is often delivered in 15-minute treatments, every weekday, for 8-10 weeks.

But rest assured, the Member for Barker has no intention on backing down.

“I’m determined to see that $4.3million spent on what is was intended for and improve the lives of cancer patients in the Limestone Coast by bringing radiation treatment closer to home,” Mr Pasin said. “I want Minister Picton to stop kicking the can down the road and start delivering improved health outcomes for the people of the Limestone Coast.”

And the working party is also staying on point and looking forward to just what weight the petition will give their voice.

A petition with more than 10,000 signatures presented to Parliament will trigger the Legislative Review Committee inquiry that will report on the matters contained in the petition for the attention of the relevant Minister. That report will also be presented to both Houses. The responsible Minister in each House is then required to table a response and make a statement outlining what, if any, action is to be taken in relation to the petition.

“We are thrilled that thanks to the number of people supporting the petition, the Legislative Review Committee will be required to investigate the issue and report formally to both Houses of Parliament,” Mr Haynes said.

“Minister Picton has not agreed to meet with the Working Party in Limestone Coast to discuss the matter, but thanks to the petition being over 10,000 signatures we are assured that our voices will be heard because at the very least the Minister is required to respond to the committee’s report in Parliament.”