Adding my voice to the calls for more Aged Care in Lake Cargelligo

For nine years now, the community of Lake Cargelligo has been working together with the shared goal of increasing residential and respite beds and services in the town.

This group has done an impressive amount of work to support their case for an increase in aged care services in the town.

What their work really boils down to is that people deserve to be able to be cared for in the comfort of their own community, surrounded by friends and loved ones.

I cannot agree with their standpoint more – hearing stories of husbands and wives being separated by hundreds of kilometres, because they don’t have the facilities in Lake Cargelligo is heartbreaking and cannot continue to be the case.

Following my meeting with All Care, I called Health Minister Brad Hazzard’s Office and set up a meeting. I’ve now presented to the Minister’s Office the case from Lake Cargelligo, which is as I said a strong one. I have also written to Mark Coulton seeking confirmation from him that the Federal Government will provide the necessary funding for staff – funding that he has told All Care is available.

The long journey this group has been on is evidence of what I’ve been talking about for months now – for too long it was easy for the government to ignore what was happening in western NSW, to not invest in the services we need, to give our communities the cold shoulder. I am here saying no more – my commitment to the All Care group is the same that I make to any group and community in Barwon I’m here to fight for you and to make sure our communities are good places to live.