Seeking a pragmatic health solution

The statement will seek targeted engagement, working with the statement submitter, Corowa’s regional business chamber.

It will then be forwarded to council’s state and federal representatives for review and comment for council’s March meeting, with a view to adopting final paper.

During the exhibition period, Federation Council will seek community views of the review decision to close Aged Care at Corowa Hospital.

Council will express extreme disappointment at the Murrumbidgee Local Health District process around the decision of the closure and lack of consultation.

A statement from Corowa’s Regional Business Chamber was presented to Federation Council at the December 16, 2024 public forum by the chamber’s Chief Executive John Crothers.

Strategic investment relating to Albury Wodonga Regional Health Infrastructure, services and Murrumbidgee Local Health District Infrastructure (Corowa and Urana) and services across the Federation Local Government area is covered in the statement.

The subject was a major item discussed at council’s monthly meeting on Tuesday. Council’s intention is to seek public comment and also seek targeted engagement, working with the business chamber, and forward the position statement to council’s state and federal representatives for review and comment.

The chamber’s statement recognises up-front, the many broad, complex and intersecting and continually changing pieces of 'Health' and is therefore in no way attempting to be reflective of the health needs and or the 'position of health' across the Federation Local Government area.

The six-page, easy-to-read paper has been discussed and shared for input, with members of the Corowa Local Health Advisory Committee (Corowa LHAC).

At council’s meeting on Tuesday, Cr David Harrison described the document as “excellent and a credit to all stakeholders involved”.

“However, in light of the shock decision last week by Murrumbidgee Health to cease aged care services at our Corowa Hospital, I move that we further modify this position statement document appropriately and present it at the February meeting,” he said.

A strong advocate for health in Corowa, the LHAC delegate, expressed his disappointment at not being invited to the announcement meeting until the last minute when he could not attend.

“We need to be very clear in supporting the staff at Corowa hospital and there can be no doubt that the care provided by staff at the Corowa hospital aged care wing is nothing short of magnificent. A long history of that,” he said.

“It’s well known the facility was not up to new standards. MPHN’s own health needs assessment data shows how much we need this facility.

“I talk about them (statistics) every month and I will again.

“We are more than nine years older than the NSW average and the percentage of the population over the age of 65 will increase by 45 per cent over the next 15 years.

“We cannot afford to lose 22 aged care places – we need to be developing more.”

Cr Harrison has no doubt the residents will be well cared for in the transition to Karinya where they will also receive “excellent care”.

“It is a good result for them despite the disruption.

“I can find no evidence of community consultation here other than a 24-hour warning to some stakeholders.

“It’s disappointing that LHAC was not part of the process.

“The lack of consultation does not fit with the Murrumbidgee Health vision statement of ‘community driven decisions’ so I can only assume we are now in the consultation period.

“We cannot have a loss of hospital facilities either.

“It has been stated the aged care wing will be modified for allied health providers. That is not a good result.

“Why isn’t capital investment to bring this wing, or another facility up to standard an option?”

Cr Harrison said he can understand that the costs associated with bringing this facility up to standard may be prohibitive.

“Fair enough. But it would have been great to bring the community and stakeholders along with that decision making process,” he concluded.

Cr Harrison’s comments followed a report to council by General Manager Adrian Butler who said suggestions like Cr Harrison’s can be included following the exhibition period.

Cr David Bott said he agreed with Cr Harrison, and for a new Greenfield site for Albury/Wodonga.

“But we must focus on our own backyard,” Cr Bott added.

Creation of the paper

The genesis for the creation of the paper was to see if a pragmatic solution can be found, to the current impasse that numerous border region councils, including Albury, Wodonga, Federation, Indigo and Towong, have with the NSW and Victorian State Governments.

This is in relation to these councils’ strong opposition to the current brownfield part re-development of the Albury Wodonga Hospital, being pursued by the NSW and Victorian Governments.

These councils and others, are strongly in favour of a new greenfield development, as are community and advocacy groups such as the Border Medical Association, and many medical practitioners across the border region.

The paper also then refers to ensuring the surrounding hospitals and multi-purpose health services (MPS), such as at Corowa and Urana, are not left to further decline, as this naturally places further pressure on the Albury Wodonga Hospital/Health Systems.

The paper also briefly mentions the critical support that Federation Council provides to GPs in Urana and Oaklands, including ensuring the Urana MPS has a doctor when available, for emergency and other in-patient services including the aged care wing.

The paper seeks to acknowledge that there is a short-term need for some investment into the current site at the Albury Wodonga Hospital, not the entire current funded proposal, whilst also pursuing the additional funding such as federal assistance, to ensure a 50-plus year solution that a new greenfield site would offer, can be delivered.

For any greenfield site to be even further progressed, of course, significant planning needs to occur, and it is understood at least in terms of site selection options, Albury and Wodonga councils are pursuing this.

However, the next steps are to concept design and cost estimate the site/s (if options are proposed) so that the Federal Government requests can be quantified and supported by plans and cost estimates.,,

State Member for Albury Justin Clancy has met with Corowa LHAC Chair Anne Wescott and Federation Council Mayor Cheryl Cook.

“We discussed the need for service planning for Corowa Hospital to be brought forward; to give assurance that the health services provided by the hospital will meet Corowa community’s current and future health needs,” he said last Thursday.

“This is a message that I have taken to the NSW Health Minister.

“With Aged Care a Commonwealth responsibility, we need to see the Federal Government support Corowa’s aged care needs, providing residents with opportunity and choice for care in their own community.”

Mr Clancy’s comments followed the announcement that Corowa Nursing Home would be decommissioned, and residents moved to Karinya – see story on Page 4.

Federation Council’s resolution on Tuesday was on the motion of Cr’s Andrew Kennedy and Pat Bourke.

“We must continue to lobby our state member (Juston Clancy) and Federal member (Sussan Ley),” Cr Bourke said.

Mayor Cook’s comments

Mayor Cook said whilst this comes as a shock at this time, it was not entirely unexpected as the building is very dated and no longer fit for purpose.

“I deeply empathise with the residents and their families who now have to endure a difficult transition period,” she said.

“However, after the rain comes sunshine, and this has come in the form of Southern Cross Care offering 18 placements in their new state-of-the-art wing at Karinya Residential Aged Care.

“We have been assured by Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) of their commitment to ensure all residents are compassionately transitioned and that the staff will retain their employment within the Corowa MLHD system if they choose.”

The mayor said that on a positive note, the building will remain under MLHD control and be restructured as a community hub, possibly in the form of allied health support that would benefit the entire area.

“Engagement will be sought from the community to gain feedback on this future project," she concluded.