New hospital campaign heats up

At the council meeting last week, Cr Mark Greenhill moved a mayoral minute to back the campaign, which started at a grassroots level earlier this year and attracted support from both sides of politics and from federal and state tiers of government.

It was time for local government to add its support, Cr Greenhill said.

"We need a better hospital. The facilities are old and not up to standard for staff and for patients. [We need to] jump on board the community campaign... It's time to ramp it up."

Cr Greenhill noted particularly that there is no critical or intensive care unit or resources for 24/7 emergency surgery currently available in the Mountains.

The minute called for council to allow posters asking people to sign the petition to be displayed in selected council facilities.

Greens Cr Sarah Redshaw said: "Not only is our hospital hugely important to us ... but we also have a huge tourist population and people passing through the Mountains. There is clearly a need for a hospital west of Penrith for not only ourselves but also for the significant population visiting here."

Noel Rath, president of the Blue Mountains Hospital Auxiliary, welcomed the council's unanimous backing.

He said while individual councillors had supported the campaign "to have it officially done by the whole council I think is great".

Mr Rath said the auxiliary has been quietly lobbying over the issue for several years but now believed "we're getting somewhere".

"It was difficult with just the auxiliary but with the community coming on ... we have had a fair bit more traction so I'm a little bit more positive than I was six months ago."

Mark Jarvis, president of the Katoomba Chamber of Commerce and Community, also welcomed council's involvement.

"I think it's great," he said. "The age of the hospital ... the building is physically well past its use-by date."

He emphasised that there was "certainly no criticism of the performance of the staff", only the conditions they were forced to work in.