IT REMAINS unclear how much longer it will take the state and federal governments to make a decision on the future of the Gunnedah Rural Health Centre.
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Mr Hayes has since been committed to resolving the issue, confirming last week he had submitted his proposal with a preferred party from a pool of three interested.
“If the governments accept my proposal, the creditors will get 100 cents to the dollar,” Mr Hayes said at the time.
"The community will be the beneficiary of the original vision of the Gunnedah Rural Health Centre."
Federal member for Parkes Mark Coulton hoped the decision “wouldn’t take long”.
“It needs to be checked by the NSW government because Hunter New England Health owns the land, and then checked off by the federal government,” Mr Coulton said on Monday.
“I’d like to see it reach its potential of what it was originally designed for and that’s a GP clinic with access to allied health services.
“I don’t think it will take long.
“Obviously there’s some due diligence that must be done as to the suitability of the party and to make sure they have the ability to provide a service that is viable so this doesn’t happen again.”
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson also hoped the clinic could return to its original vision.
“I want to see the clinic remain as a health facility to provide more health care to the people of Gunnedah and the surrounds,” he said.
“It is important that the facility continues to attract new health care professionals to Gunnedah, which is what it was originally intended for.
“Further to this I want to see continuing upgrades to the Gunnedah Hospital to attract more health care professionals to the growing community.”
“But the longer it takes, the more disadvantaged the community will be,” he said last week.
“All we need now is the government to say yes.”