Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the early parenting support provided by Tresillian in Cowra has been an invaluable resource for the town and its surrounds.
During a visit to mark one year since the new centre opened its doors, Ms Cooke congratulated the team for the care and guidance they provide to the community.
“It’s just over 12 months since I officially opened the new Tresillian Family Centre here in Cowra. The service has been a game-changer for young families who have been able to utilise the Tresillian support services without having to travel long distances out of town,” Ms Cooke said.
“Rochelle Longhurst and the team do a remarkable job; the one-on-one consultations that they provide are such an important asset for families in the region.
“Of course when we opened the Family Centre back in February last year, the plan was to complement the Tresillian day services with two overnight beds in the new Cowra Hospital redevelopment. These beds would be the first Tresillian beds on this side of the Great Dividing Range.
“As we know, these plans were abruptly shelved late last year, however I am continuing to hold discussions with the Regional Health Minister about overturning this decision.
“The Minister is a big supporter of Tresillian, and understands how important their services are in our rural and regional communities, and I sincerely thank him for keeping the lines of communication open, and for his willingness to hold further discussions around the future of the in-patient Tresillian beds in the new Cowra Hospital.
“There are a lot of complexities involved in decisions like this, and I look forward to continuing to engage in productive and pragmatic conversations with all stakeholders; after all, at the end of the day, we are all striving to achieve the best outcome for the families that make up our wonderful communities of the Central West,” she said.
Cowra Tresillian Nurse Unit Manager Rochelle Longhurst said a lot of families expressed “sadness” when they heard the news that Tresillian in-patient beds were being excluded from the rebuild.
“The thought of those in-patient services not being available was very disheartening; we’d really like people to get behind Tresillian, and support re-instating the beds in the new Cowra Hospital. It would be very beneficial for people to speak out, and let it be known that we need those beds and the services they will provide,” Mrs Longhurst said.
“It’s my fear that without them, there will be families that won’t access our services because of the costs involved in travelling far from home, not to mention the fact that new mothers who may be struggling, are often in a vulnerable state, and so need to be close to home where their family support network are,” she said.
Following her visit with the Tresillian team, Ms Cooke then attended a sod-turning, marking the beginning of main works construction at the new $110.2 million Cowra Hospital redevelopment site.
“Today marks another significant step forward for this community, who for many years, have fought to secure what will be a state-of-the-art facility providing enhanced healthcare services for residents in Cowra, and surrounding towns and villages,” Ms Cooke said.
“It will truly transform healthcare for Cowra and its surrounds, and I want to take this opportunity to once again pay tribute to all those who helped bring our collective vision to life.
“This project all began with a petition I launched over five years ago, and has grown to become one of the biggest ever infrastructure projects in the town’s history.
“I’m proud to say I have been there every step of the way on this journey with the community; it is a true testament of just how effective people power can be,” she said.
Photo: Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke (right) with (from left) Executive Director at Health Infrastructure NSW Amanda Bock; Stephen Lawrence MLC; Western NSW Local Health District CEO Mark Spittal; and Health Services Manager Pauline Rowston, at the sod-turn marking the start of the main works construction of the new Cowra Hospital.
