Camden Council has thrown down the gauntlet, urging the NSW Government to fairly fund Camden Hospital as billions in new hospital money flow into Australia’s health system.
The call comes after the Federal Government announced $25 billion in additional funding for public hospitals nationwide, with states now deciding how that money is distributed on the ground.
Mayor of Camden Therese Fedeli, said Camden’s booming population can no longer be ignored.
“Camden is the fastest-growing area in NSW, and yet our hospital capacity has not kept pace with the needs of our community,” she said.
Residents, she said, are routinely forced to travel outside the area for basic healthcare, and “that’s not good enough.”
While welcoming the Commonwealth’s funding boost, Council has raised alarm that the final say on hospital allocations now sits with the NSW Government and Camden risks missing out again.
Compounding frustration is the uncertainty around a promised new hospital at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.
Although $15 million was announced last year for planning, no further details have emerged.
“This leaves our residents relying on a local hospital that is underfunded, alongside the prospect of a new hospital whose future remains unclear,” Fedeli said.
Council’s advocacy campaign, The Time Is Now, warns that Camden’s infrastructure is lagging dangerously behind population growth not just in health, but in transport, schools and roads.
“Our residents deserve timely access to quality healthcare close to home,” Fedeli said.
“We will continue to advocate strongly until Camden Hospital is properly funded and a new hospital site is secured.”
The message to Macquarie Street is blunt: the money is there and for Camden, the time really is now.
