That is that if the people of this region want better health services then they have to do the job themselves.

If Tamworth’s Oncology Redevelopment Committee – which achieved the remarkable feat of raising almost $500,000 in less than 18 months – had listened to the experts, then the wonderful new facilities now bringing comfort and dignity to the lives of local cancer patients would still be years away.

The original advice was to leave the unit – where people suffering from many of the most common and debilitating forms of cancer come to spend hours undergoing chemotherapy – as it was until plans had been finalised for the Tamworth Hospital development.

That would have been a grave

mistake.

As we reported on Wednesday, the State Government doesn’t seem to have a clue as to how it will pay for the $130 million redevelopment and the good Lord only knows if and when it will actually proceed.

Remarkable progress has been achieved since last July when the oncology committee decided to bite the bullet and begin the revamp.

It had already become obvious that the hospital redevelopment was bogged down in a mire of red tape and political indifference.

To have turned a heroic vision of a better deal for local cancer sufferers into bricks, mortar, treatment chairs, airconditioners, treatment rooms and the like in less than eight months was a remarkable effort.

It also clearly indicates that the management team at Hunter New England Health are able to get on with the job of modernising local health facilities as long as they get the green light and the dollars to do the work.

We have no doubt that the success of the oncology project is one of the factors that has inspired the Friends of Nioka to press ahead with their planned redevelopment of our palliative care unit.

That project is also worthy of strong and sustained community support.