Rehab issue may unseat Labor

I welcome the announcement by the Shadow Minister Peter Dutton and local Liberal candidate Darren Jameson of their pledge of $2.7 million to re-open Woy Woy Rehab Unit and expand it to 30 beds.

That was consistent with internal health report made shortly before the then Minister for Central Coast and Health Minister John Della Bosca closed the facility without any local consultation.

This course is also supported by Greens candidate Peter Freewater and includes re-establishing hospital facilities at Woy Woy, a local hospital opened in 1970 after years of lobbying.

It also has significant impacts on State and Federal health policy directions.

Currently Gosford and Woy Woy are without rehab services and the community is totally dissatisfied with attempts to admit Central Coast patients to Wyong's under-resourced facility and bus visitors up weekday mornings.

The situation is a disaster of enormous concern as a local community issue and may well get Darren Jameson into Belinda Neal's seat.

Together with Carmel Tebbutt's unwillingness to discuss the issues, Marie Andrew's failure to support local community on the issue may well also unseat her next year.

Email, 30 Jul 2010 Kay Williams, Pearl Beach