2018-07-03
Greens North Coast spokesperson, Dawn Walker MP has called for the new Tweed Hospital to be re-developed on its existing site in Tweed Heads, while rejecting plans for a Hospital to be built on land at Cudgen or Kings Forest.
"The Greens believe that Tweed desperately needs a new hospital to support our growing population and ensure the region receives access to quality medical services. However, we want sites in Tweed Heads to be considered for the new Hospital, including the existing site in Tweed Heads, which is close to the Tweed Heads population centre, existing allied health services and could be expanded through acquisition of adjoining properties to the west of the existing hospital.
"Why is there such a push from Labor and the Nationals to build the new hospital south of the Tweed River on fertile farmland or a greenfield site with a regional wildlife corridor that is a long way away from the population centre of Tweed Heads?
"It's appalling the way the National Party have sold-out local farmers with their plans to concrete over the state-significant farmland on the Cudgen Plateau and push for intense development on this fertile food producing land. They need to go back to the drawing board and talk with the community about re-developing the new Hospital in urban Tweed Heads where it belongs.
"The last thing we want to do is bring Gold Coast sprawl south of the Tweed River and leave thousands of Tweed pensioners a long way from the new hospital; many of whom chose to retire in Tweed Heads due to its close proximity to medical services.
"I will be pressuring the Government to come clean on why they aren't re-developing the existing Tweed Hospital site for the new hospital when Parliament resumes" said Dawn Walker MP.