State election candidates Jaimie Abbott and Kate Washington followed different paths last week while out on the hustings in Port Stephens.
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While the Liberal’s Jaimie Abbott was pledging $44,000 in new heart monitoring equipment for Tomaree Community Hospital, Labor MP Kate Washington was urging residents to have their say about a proposed sand mine at Bobs Farm before submissions close on Friday, February 1.
Last Friday’s Telemetry monitoring system announcement coincided with a visit by the NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, who took the time to inspect progress on the $8 million hospital construction upgrade.
The government is funding the HealthOne facility featuring purpose-built health care services such as mental health consultation, imaging, child/family care and dental is expected to open its doors in early 2020.
Ms Abbott said that a Telemetry system, due in mid-February, would extend monitoring beyond the hospital’s emergency department and into the wards.
“After speaking with staff, it was clear a new Telemetry monitoring system was essential to ensure patients can be monitored for chest pain, arrhythmias and other cardiac related conditions on the ward,” she said.
Ms Washington, meanwhile, said that the controversial sand mine would bring 180 additional truck movements each day moving on and off Nelson Bay Road as well as bulldoze 36 hectares of land including ‘threatened species and feeding habitat’.
“Despite being opposed by the community and condemned by all sides of politics, the Department of Planning is continuing to proceed with the assessment of the sand mine,” she said.
“Parents of Bobs Farm Public School have been particularly alarmed by the proposal, which will see heavy trucks using driveways on either side of the small school.”
Residents can have their say by completing an online submission at www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au or by mail to GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001.