Tweed Valley Hospital: Satirical ‘Dupes of Hazzard’ sign taking down, considered ‘vandalism’

A humorous sign erected at the site for the Tweed Valley Hospital has been taken down and deemed ‘vandalism’ by authorities, however protesters claim it is ‘freedom of expression’.

The Tweed Shire Council has called an “extraordinary meeting” about the region’s new $534 million hospital despite construction work already starting on the Cudgen site.

The council will tomorrow night talk about “confidential items for consideration” and reports from the planning and regulation committee on the hospital.

It is opposed to the Tweed Valley Hospital being built because it wants to protect the area’s farmland.

It follows criticism last month of NSW Health Infrastructure not having a funny bone after taking down satirical signs at the proposed site.

The signs criticised Health Minister Brad Hazzard for “duping” Kingscliff residents when he chose to build the Tweed Valley Hospital at Cudgen.

The signs were erected on the fence bordering the site, reading “Dupes of Hazzard’’ — a wordplay on the 1980s American action-comedy TV series Dukes of Hazzard.

These funny signs were erected at the site of the $534 million Tweed Valley Hospital, but not everyone finds them funny.

The first sign was removed, another was erected and now it has been removed.

A Health Infrastructure spokeswoman said they were one of several cases of “vandalism’’ at the $534 million hospital site.

“Community members who wish to provide further feedback on the Tweed Valley Hospital project are asked to voice their views through the appropriate channels, including the inquiry form, 1800 telephone number and email address listed on the project website,” the spokeswoman said.

“This reminder follows a number of incidents of vandalism and theft at the site and the verbal

abuse of people working on the Tweed Valley Hospital project contractors or the preliminary works

contractor, both while they were on site and also outside of work hours.

“Health Infrastructure is working closely with the contractor and the local police to make sure that these incidents are appropriately investigated and managed.”

The siting of the hospital at Cudgen has caused outrage in the community, with farmers saying they do not want it built of State Significant Farmland and Kingscliff residents claiming it will overpopulate their town.

The sign.

Barbara Roughan, spokeswoman for the Relocate Tweed Valley Hospital protest group, said the signs were not vandalism but freedom of political expression.

“There has been no damage or destruction here, just a very witty sign attached to a fence, followed by a second sign a few days later once the original one was removed,” she said.

“Local residents appreciate the humour displayed here and agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed.

“Many dupes have been played out on the entire Tweed community, and highlighting them with signs is democracy in action.

“I’m looking forward to reading more humorous, factually correct signs.”