Hospitals and infrastructure key election points for Maree Curtis

Longtime Bathurst local, Senior Citizens' Update programmer and volunteer presenter at 2MCE, Maree Curtis has penned her thoughts on what she believes should be considered when casting a vote.

Here is what she wrote:

We all know the saying that we're only as strong as our weakest link. For that reason, caring for the sick is paramount to the good health of our community.

The introduction of the Cashless Gaming Card is essential to help gamblers who cannot help themselves. Solving this societal problem has been on the agenda for a decade, but lobbyists of the poker machine industry have been too powerful and our governments too weak.

Whether it be mandatory - or a trial - it's time to act.

It appears that the transition of TAFE NSW apprentices to private providers has diminished the efficacy of their training and numbers to a point where the country faces a severe shortage of tradespeople.

Return to the stability of government controlled TAFE that can respond to industries' needs is a MUST!

Bathurst infrastructure must keep up with its growth, for example; housing, clean water, sewage, roads, electricity and telecommunications.

While the increase in Bathurst's population is most welcome, it's easy to see the supply of homes both for sale or for rent is inadequate to meet the current demand.

There's no point conducting a business in Bathurst if you're intended employee can't live here because the rents are too high.

Awareness of and access to the National Rental Affordable Scheme (NRAS) and more assistance from our elected Member of Parliament is essential to alert eligible prospective workers who want to live in Bathurst of the 20-30 per cent rental assistance - off current market rental prices - that could be available to them.

After years of complaints that Bathurst Base Hospital is not up to standard, Bathurst recently received a $200 million major development that is expected to be completed early in 2023.

There was a redevelopment in 2007 and a $98 million hospital expansion in 2019 yet it seems little changed to provide the health services Bathurst needed.

We have to be assured by our elected Members of Parliament (both State and Federal) that the major development currently being undertaken meets the requirements of Bathurst's expanding population and patients won't still have to go to Orange Base Hospital for treatment.

Driving around Bathurst, in Bathurst and other forms of travel is expensive for seniors.

The introduction of the Regional Seniors Travel Card four years ago was a blessing. This card needs to be continued by our next State Government to ensure seniors receive assistance to travel at a reduced cost.

Bathurst is an amazing city, and we should all be well pleased with living here. However, if its infrastructure doesn't keep abreast of its growth, instead of being the proudest city over the Blue Mountains, we may well become the poor sister of Orange.

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