I also have had a stroke and have vision loss.

I have no relatives in NSW.

However, these are irrelevant facts when considering the hospice plans.

The plans for a mega hospice are so different from the original concept that they are causing me (and other residents) great distress.

Originally the concept presented was for a grand, traditional home with underground parking and surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Statements were made on the SHCH website that such things as underground parking were critical in the design.

The vision from the street was to be of a beautiful fountain surrounded by garden.

The building was to be well spaced away from boundaries. 

This is what council thought appropriate and so gave permission for a hospice to be built in a low density residential, heritage conservation area.

Then ERF and new SHCH members took over and authorised plans for a mega institutional building close up to boundaries,razing nearly all the existing trees, hard stand car parking right next to homes and visible from the street, meeting rooms, 10 beds etc etc. This is not fair!

SHCH states the average stay in a hospice is 18 days.

With 10 beds, that means in a year they could cater for about 200 deaths.

ABS 2012 figures show that the total number of deaths in Wingecarribee Shire was 420.

Are they expecting half the deaths in the shire to happen in their hospice?

SHCH Committee member Bramham mentioned the Ipswich QLD Hospice as a model.

This hospice started with six beds (since increased to seven or eight) for a catchment population of 290,000.

Are we expected to believe that we need 10 beds for a shire with a population of 46,000? 

We are a small, beautiful and caring shire. 

Let’s keep it that way.

Jane Harris

Bowral