Latest news with #RoyButler
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Wee Waa Hospital beset by leadership instability, operational failings, review finds
An independent review has found a rural hospital in north-west New South Wales is experiencing leadership instability and operational failings. Wee Waa Hospital has been operating under reduced hours since 2023 due to staffing shortages. The public hospital, operated by the Hunter New England Health (HNEH), is open from 8am until 5:30pm, forcing locals to travel 40 kilometres to Narrabri to seek after-hours medical treatment. Following intense lobbying from the community and Barwon MP Roy Butler, state Health Minister Ryan Park announced in February that a review would be undertaken. Four independent health experts released their findings on Friday and noted "serious leadership instability" within the hospital that had led to a "deterioration of workplace culture". The review made 20 recommendations, including moving to a single-service model that covered the Wee Waa and Narrabri health campuses to improve leadership and recruitment. It also recommended reinstating a palliative care bed in the hospital and updating the emergency department to an urgent care model. The report described the urgent care model as a "nurse-led model that ensures expert triage, assessment while maintaining flexibility and accessibility for patients." Mr Butler said the findings vindicated the feelings residents had about the health service. "The community has some long-held concerns about culture and around staffing within the hospital and services available out of Wee Waa," he said. Mr Butler highlighted the recommendation to update the ED to an urgent care model as a "crucial decision". "An urgent care model is easier to staff and it will remove confusion about what services are available in Wee Waa," he said. Narrabri Mayor Darell Tiemans welcomed the review with cautious optimism. "It's a step in the right direction," he said. "We absolutely welcome the fact that there is recommendations … but it's still the only hospital in Australia that closes at 5:30pm." Cr Tiemans hoped the report would lead to positive change for the community of 3,000 people. "This report has identified that the community really does need a hospital here," he said. Mr Butler said he would work with the state government to ensure change occurred as quickly as possible. "The next stage is the implementation plan, where the rubber hits the road and we actually see action," he said. A time-frame for the implementation of the recommendations is yet to be finalised. Hunter New England Health chief executive Tracey McCosker also welcomed the review. "This review provides us with a valuable opportunity to strengthen how care is delivered in Wee Waa, now and into the future," she said in a statement. "Our immediate focus is on recruitment and we'll be launching a new campaign shortly. "At the same time, we're beginning planning and community consultation to progress the broader recommendations." Mr Park said he recognised the need for change. "While there is more work to be done, I know we're on the right track," he said in a statement. "I look forward to seeing Hunter New England Local Health District work closely with the Wee Waa community as they develop and implement their response to the recommendations." Narrabri councillor Ethan Towns was born at the hospital in Wee Waa and said the last few years had been a "nightmare" for the town. "It's been a level of stagnation — it's been terrible," he said. "We have been left for so long without any knowledge if anything is going to change, the fence came in [around the hospital] and we thought it was going to close." Cr Towns was involved in the "Save Wee Waa Hospital" petition, which received more than 10,000 signatures. Mr Tiemans praised the community for helping to ensure the review took place. "This community has been amazing … I'm immensely proud," he said.
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Demolition of Broken Hill's Willyama High School begins after mould outbreak
Eighteen months after a Broken Hill high school was forced to close indefinitely due to a major mould infestation, demolition work has begun. More than 600 Willyama High School students had to be relocated to alternate schools in January last year after the start of term one. The public high school in Far West New South Wales was earmarked for demolition last March after an independent hygienist report found the mould infestation was so extreme the building would have to be stripped down to its bricks to be safe again. The rebuild, which local MP Roy Butler believes will cost between $90–100 million, is expected to start early next year, with students returning from 2027. In the past, locals living near the site voiced concerns about potentially coming into contact with hazardous material, including mould or asbestos, during the demolition. In a statement, a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said surrounding residents should not worry. "Before heavy demolition began in the area, all associated hazardous materials were safely removed, and the area inspected to confirm remediation was safely completed," they said. "The safety and wellbeing of our students, workers and the community is our highest priority, and we will keep the community updated as work progresses." The spokesperson said the process had been carefully staged to "prioritise safety and minimise disruption to the local community". "All demolition activities are being undertaken in alignment with the Remediation Action Plan developed by an independent hygienist for the site," they said. The NSW government announced last month it had allocated more than $50 million in the state budget to start the Willyama High School rebuild.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Scuttlebutt': information black-out after power outage
When power went out across the outback after a freak storm, anxiety, scepticism and fear rose in the dark. Far-west NSW communities could not get accurate details about their electricity supply or where to get help due to telecommunications failures after the storm in October 2024. That created an atmosphere of mistrust as unpredictable electricity black-outs hit Broken Hill and surrounding remote communities, including Menindee, Tibooburra and White Cliffs, for 19 days. Residents were frustrated by a lack of reliable information, while rumours circulated about the actions of energy companies, local MP Roy Butler told an inquiry into the outages on Monday. "There's always scuttlebutt, there's always rumours, there's Chinese whispers and you end up with misunderstandings," Mr Butler told the inquiry at NSW parliament house in Sydney. "That just raises anxiety and it also undermines people's confidence in the next piece of information they receive. "For my team ... it was really important that anything that we said to the community was solid." One of the region's two back-up generators was found to be offline after the electricity lines were knocked down on October 17, while a gas turbine could not provide enough power for the vast area. People could not call triple zero after mains power to 32 mobile and exchange sites was lost, while mines and businesses shut down and residents' food and medications were spoiled. NSW Police Aboriginal liaison officers drove hours to remote Indigenous communities to let residents know what was happening, Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said. But there was not enough warning from energy companies about periods of load shedding that caused temporary black-outs as electricity was being restored, he said. Aboriginal Affairs NSW's deputy secretary Shane Hamilton said Indigenous community members were less likely to seek help at local clubs offering food and water. "People would be generally reluctant to go to those places," he said. "If they had experienced in the past any negative behaviour or racism, they'd be less likely to go to those evacuation centres." Communities have suggested solar-powered information screens be installed in remote towns during emergencies. Essential Energy was acting quickly to install micro grids - a localised back-up system relying on diesel, batteries and renewables - in small communities, Mr Butler said. "That's a real win for everyone if we can make it work that way." The inquiry is due to report to parliament in May.
