Wales sticks by Forresters' benefits

Liberal candidate for Gosford Ms Debra Wales has stuck to her guns in espousing the benefits of a proposed aged care facility at Forresters Beach, despite being questioned in the media about a potential conflict of interest.

Wales and Associates, an urban design business operated by Ms Wales and her husband, provided studies for the developer.

The proposal has been rejected by Gosford Council.

"The Forresters Beach project would have provided assisted aged care and nursing home beds unlike most luxury retirement villages," said Ms Wales.

"It wasn't reported correctly because it was providing a much-needed medical centre and 200 jobs in aged care services.

"We have aged and frail patients in Woy Woy Public Hospital, waiting for a nursing home bed, Woy Woy Hospital is literally being used as transitional nursing home and it shouldn't be.

"These frail patients need certainty. They need to have their possessions around them to make their lives comfortable.

"Secondly, the Federal Government has recognized that we are about to have the largest number of retirees ever.

"Therefore, the Feds have announced a $1.5 billion funding for aged care, of that $775 million for infrastructure.

"And what does Gosford Council do? They refuse a compliant development at Forresters, just as they did in 2001 for a dementia unit at Erina.

"I fought hard to have that overturned because we were so desperate for dementia beds on the Coast.

"Thirdly, the assessment of patients has changed and Centrelink is now assessing concessional patients and it is a very slow process, leaving our aged patients in Woy Woy and Wyong public hospitals longer than they should be.

"The Peninsula Village explained to me that they cannot afford to have beds empty and waiting for Centrelink to get around to their assessment process.

"It was much faster when nursing homes did their own assessments."

Ms Wales said we were "losing an invaluable service for the Peninsula".

"I ask you to take a walk through Woy Woy hospital and see for yourself. You would be shocked.

"I went through with staff late last year and came out stunned at the condition of the hospital.

"They were desperate for a television for their patients in the rehab centre so I organized a fundraiser dinner and raised $800 to purchase it for the hospital.

"We are also about to donate another $1000 to the hospital."

Clare Graham, 9 March 2007 Lyle Stone, 7 March 2007