Build Wagga Base first: Tumut man. A businessman says the new regional hospital in Wagga should get top priority.

Leading Tumut businessman Phil Barton has caused a stir by supporting construction of a new regional hospital in Wagga ahead of a determined push to replace his own town's ageing hospital.

Mr Barton, who owns Parktown Autos, was approached by a group calling itself No More Bandaids to support its lobbying for a new Tumut hospital.

Instead, Mr Barton wrote a letter to the editor of The Tumut and Adelong Times newspaper saying there was no doubt the biggest priority for the region was to have the new Wagga Base Hospital built and equipped with the latest technology and specialist personnel.

Yesterday, Mr Barton said although his view had been attacked by the No More Bandaids group, the overwhelming number of people who had spoken to him about his letter supported his stand.

"My view simply is we have to get your Wagga hospital up and running before ours, we need the regional hospital up and running and fully staffed," Mr Barton said.

Mr Barton said a new Wagga hospital would have benefits for the whole region because patients with complicated or serious health problems could be treated closer to home at Wagga instead of having to go to Sydney or Melbourne.

Also, the regional hospital would attract medical specialists who would be of benefit to patients living in all Riverina centres, including Tumut.

Tumut Mayor Gene Vanzella said he estimated a new Tumut hospital would cost $40 million, while the Wagga project has been costed at more than $215 million.

"We'll push for both Tumut and Wagga, but in no particular order," Councillor Vanzella said of his council's position.

Mountain group backs new Wagga hospital

A Tumut community group pressing for new hospitals at Tumut and Batlow said yesterday it also supported the immediate building of a new base hospital in Wagga.

Secretary of newly-formed No More Bandaids, Sue Swann, said the group was campaigning for the replacement of Tumut's 106-year-old public hospital and the "dilapidated" Batlow hospital as a matter of urgency.

"We have also campaigned on behalf of low-income earners and pensioners for easy access to affordable medical imaging and for the immediate building of a new base hospital at Wagga," Ms Swann said.

Ms Swann said many Tumut residents felt they had been brushed aside by health administrators despite the development of a new five-year Tumut Health Service Plan.

"They believe the problems remain unresolved and fear that unless there is concrete ! commitment made by the NSW Government in the immediate future, there will be long-term damage to the health and economy of the region," she said.

Ms Swann said the group had been overwhelmed with messages of encouragement and support from Tumut residents.

Weekend Advertiser- Wagga Wagga

Saturday and Sunday, November 26 and 27, 2005