Hobart residents oppose waterfront hospital: Council poll

Brett Whiteley MP Shadow Minister for Health and Human Services Tuesday, 31 March, 2009
A POLL conducted by the Hobart City Council has found the vast majority of respondents disagree or strongly disagree to a new hospital being built on the railyards site.

Shadow Minister for Health and Human Services, Brett Whiteley, said the poll results which had been posted on the council’s website, also revealed more than 50% of respondents agree or strongly agree to redeveloping the current site.

Mr Whiteley said reasons provided against the railyards site, on the waterfront, were its potential for better use and restriction of Hobart’s working port, now and into the future.

“The reasons in favour of redeveloping the current site centred around location and good access.”

Mr Whiteley again demanded the government ditch its plan for a $1.2 billion waterfront hospital.

“It’s time for the Health Minister to make a decision on this,” Mr Whiteley said.

“Labor’s mismanagement of this project has divided the community. Labor should adopt the Liberals’ sensible, practical and affordable plan for a New Generation Royal Hobart Hospital on the current site.

“It’s unbelievable that even in the midst of the global financial crisis, the government is still contemplating a $1.2 billion hospital on the Hobart waterfront. That’s just an example of Labor, after ten long years in office, taking Tasmania in the wrong direction.”

The poll results can be found on the Hobart City Council website at:

http://www.hobartcity.com.au/hccwr/_assets/main/lib60034/rhh%20consultation%20results.pdf

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