‘Don’t close Batemans Bay Hospital’ petition nears 18,000 signatures

A petition aimed at saving a town of 20,000 from becoming the largest in NSW without an emergency department is set to be presented to the state opposition as it nears 18,000 signatures.

Signs for the petition can be found around Batemans Bay.

A petition to save a south coast regional town from becoming the largest centre in NSW without an emergency department [ED] is set to be presented to parliament after gathering a staggering number of signatures.

The Batemans Bay Hospital – originally opened in 1929 – is set to close its doors in the coming years once the $260m Eurobodalla Regional Hospital is constructed 30km away.

The existing hospital will close its doors so staff can work out of the new major level four hospital featuring an ED, eight-bed ICU, increased capacity for chemotherapy, surgical theatres and more.

However, Batemans Bay Hospital closing would leave the town of 20,000 without an ED, making them the largest regional area in the state without a hospital – and the only one with a population of over 10,000 people.

Batemans Bay local Peter Ryan created the campaign ‘Don’t Close Batemans Bay Hospital’ to avoid this fate.

NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman will be presented the petition tonight in Batemans Bay.

He told The South Coast News the ideal outcome would see the Batemans Bay Hospital ED remain open, albeit at a far smaller scale.

“If someone in the Bay has a heart attack, all of a sudden you have a situation where they need to travel nearly 40 minutes down the highway instead of 10 minutes,” he said.

Members of 'Don't close the Batemans Bay Hospital'.

The petition has been available in the south coast town for months, and has now reached 17,889 signatures.

It will be presented to Opposition Leader Mark Speakman and federal liberal candidate for Gilmore, Andrew Constance at a public meeting held at the Soldiers Club in Batemans Bay.

“The response from our petition signatures is a clear message from the community that they don’t support Batemans Bay Hospital emergency department closing,” Mr Ryan said.

“We support Eurobodalla having a new level four hospital, but not at the expense of closing Batemans Bay ED.”

The NSW Government previously noted the location of the new hospital was picked as it was centric to the Eurobodalla.

“It being centric is fine, but 58 per cent of the Eurobodalla live north of the new hospital location,” Mr Ryan said.

State member for Bega Dr Michael Holland also previously discussed the closure of the Batemans Bay ED, noting the staff would be moved into the new hospital.

The NSW Government also revealed plans for a new community health hub to be built next to the Batemans Bay Hospital and recently opened an urgent care clinic on the Bay hospital site, which will run in conjunction with the Eurobodalla Regional Hospital.

However, Mr Ryan said it wasn’t enough.

“The urgent care clinic isn’t an emergency department, its essentially another bulk billed GP,” he said.

“Real emergencies will be sent to the new hospital.

“Even if they had just six or seven emergency beds, we would be happy with that.

“Closing it completely makes absolutely no sense.”

The petition will be presented tonight to Mr Speakman.

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