Public Health First members say their meeting last week with NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has done little to sway their opinion that the redevelopment of Bowral and District Hospital is being "mismanaged".
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The group's spokesperson Edna Carmichael said three questions remain answered: "Why was the 2016 Master Plan abandoned? Why wasn't the community consulted, or even informed of this change? And who is responsible?"
Ms Carmichael said getting answers for those questions was the community group's main objective at the meeting, which was held onsite at the hospital on Wednesday, November 15.
However, she said Public Health First members left the meeting feeling "dissatisfied", and without answers to their questions.
"We said we wanted to know why the original plan was dropped, and what is the evidence that has caused that change?" Ms Carmichael said.
"Ryan Park said previously that he would talk to Health Infrastructure and get to the bottom of it. Our impression was, that we were going to walk the site and explain how the Master Plan can't work, because of the redevelopment of the Milton Park building.
"But that didn't happen," Ms Carmichael said.
Public Health First can illustrate that the Master Plan deviates from what was initially promised under the previous NSW Government.
They say they were armed and ready to put their case to Mr Park at Wednesday's meeting. However, the opportunity to do so never presented itself.
"The whole thing felt like it was engineered to manage us," Ms Carmichael said.
"We felt like they were selling us their narrative."
That meeting was the culmination of months of work, lobbying the minister to have him meet with community representatives onsite.
The goal was to show Mr Park the disconnect between what was promised for the redevelopment of the hospital, and what is currently being delivered as part of Stage Two.
However, Ms Carmichael now feels that the work it took to get Mr Park to visit the site achieved little, if anything.
"It was like walking into a 1990's PowerPoint presentation," Ms Carmichael said.
"We were sold a narrative, which we reject."
Other government representatives at Wednesday's meeting included Wollondilly MP Judy Hannan and Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman.
Ms Hannan took to Facebook afterwards, describing the lack of community consultation as a "huge concern".
"It was wonderful to have The Hon. Ryan Park, Minister for Health, to visit Bowral & District Hospital with Wendy Tuckerman MP and myself," she said.
"The lack of community consultation with the change that the previous Member for Wollondilly did not raise is a huge concern.
"I'm grateful Health Infrastructure was able to listen to the community representatives and their concerns. The key is for more services to grow with our community which the minister heard loud and clear," Ms Hannan said.
Southern Highland News approached Mr Park for comment.
A spokesperson said: "The minister recognises the concerns raised by the local community and has and will continue to engage constructively with them in relation to this project."
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Sally Foy
Regional reporter based in the Southern Highlands. I am also a mother and advocate for children with a disability and epilepsy.
Regional reporter based in the Southern Highlands. I am also a mother and advocate for children with a disability and epilepsy.
