Petition presented for radiotherapy unit

The Central Coast Regional Advocacy Network will present Member for Gosford Ms Marie Andrews with a petition on Monday, November 12, for a public radiotherapy unit on the Central Coast.

The petition will be presented to Ms Andrews at Woy Woy Hospital.

Network facilitator Ms Kathy Smith said the petition would ask the NSW Legislative Assembly to fund the public radiotherapy unit.

"This petition has been conducted by the Central Coast Regional Advocacy Network who have been actively campaigning for such facilities for quite some time," Ms Smith said.

"Early this year we asked local residents to forward emails to the NSW Minister Assisting the Minister of Health (Cancer) requesting that a public radiotherapy unit be located on the Central Coast.

"Shortly after this began, the Minister called for a meeting with Regional Advocacy Network members along with Ms Andrews, the CEO of the Cancer Institute, the Director of Statewide Planning - Department of Health, a representative of the Minister for the Central Coast and others."

Ms Smith said the meeting took place on June 28.

"In August, it was felt that reporting on progress of undertakings made at that meeting was not forthcoming and, as a consequence, we began conducting a petition requesting that the NSW Legislative Assembly provide funding for a public radiotherapy unit for the Central Coast," Ms Andrews said.

"The Central Coast community, many of whom did not realise there weren't public facilities on the Coast, have really come out in favour of this petition with many people contacting us asking for copies for them to distribute themselves.

"The public has really been motivated to take action and give us their support."

Ms Smith said Ms Andrews had been a "staunch supporter" of the campaign and had assisted the network in its goal to have the facilities available for the Cancer patients of the Central Coast.

Press release, 7 Nov 2007 Kathy Smith, Central Coast Regional Advocacy Network