Tesch condemns Ettalong service centre closure

Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch has condemned the closure of the Ettalong Service Centre.

"The Liberal Government is cutting an essential service for our older residents in Ettalong, with many unable to go to the Woy Woy Service Centre or travel to Gosford."

She said consolidating the service with the Woy Woy centre and introducing an appointment-based, digital arrangement in an East Coast first was "beyond ignorant".

"Here on the Peninsula we know we have the highest number of people aged over 65 on the Central Coast and we know our seniors are not always digitally literate."

"Our seniors are not guinea pigs for Australia and our community should not be treated as such," Ms Tesch said.

"We deserve the very best and this is unacceptable.

"The Liberal Government have already experienced the issues that were faced when they took away our fully-functioning Roads and Maritime Services Centre and eventually replaced it with a Service NSW digital kiosk."

"We all rallied against the closure with over 10,000 people signing the 2015 petition.

"Yet despite our community efforts the digital kiosk went ahead and proved to be an absolute disaster with locals struggling to access essential services."

Ms Tesch said now was not the time to limit and change our services.

"At a time when people are reeling from the onslaught of Covid throughout Australia why would anyone think it is a good idea to cut an essential service and change the way it is delivered?

"The plans were announced with limited warning, with many still unaware of the changes.

Ms Tesch said she would keep fighting for adequate services.

"We already had to battle to get back our Roads and Maritime Services Centre and we are more than ready to get back our service centre in Ettalong."

"The Liberal Government cannot keep cutting our services on the Peninsula and using us as a test for digital-firsts." SOURCE: Media release, 28 Jan 2021 Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford