Charlotte Varcoe
RADIATION therapy is once again making waves across the Limestone Coast with three representatives of the working committee travelling to Parliament House this week.
Deanne Carmody, Richard Harry and working group chairperson Lachlan Haynes will make a submission to the newly inducted Legislative Committee Review in regards to whether radiation treatment is needed in Mount Gambier/Berrin.
Mr Haynes said he was very eager to appear before the committee and “back up and speak further” to the “extraordinary” voice of the residents of the Limestone Coast.
“It is hoped this opportunity triggered by the petition makes the committee listen and understand our plight,” Mr Haynes said.
“We would like them to further widen their intake of understanding and investigate further why we feel so strongly justified in demanding the $4.3m is not spend elsewhere but quarantined for allocation ro provision of radiation treatment in the Limestone Coast.”
It comes following the 2023-2024 State budget announcing its 2023-2024 target to “complete the design of the cancer service expansion at the Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service”.
A public forum will also be held at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre on July 25 to “get as many people who signed the petition together” .
Ms Carmody said the meeting would be in a public forum to allow questions to be answered and have “everything laid out on the table”.
“That way the people in the community will have more of an insight to what we want and there will be representations coming from ICON which is the radiation department and there will be lots of questions answered as well as a lot of stories to be told on why it is so important,” she said.
“All we really need is to express and expose what we are doing because we owe it to the public to give their opinions as well.”
Ms Carmody said it would also allow an “open and transparent” conversation with all parties invited.
“We have invited the State Premier, the State Minister for Health and Wellbeing as well as the Limestone Coast Local Health Network and the State opposition as well,” she said.
“We want to dispel some of the misinformation about it being unsafe which has been an issue.”
Tickets for the event are available online free of charge
