The community of Young is just coming to the realisation that the satellite renal unit promised to be installed at Young Health Service, is now going to Cowra. 

The lack of logic shown by the decision makers in this process is stark. 

Cowra is serviced presently by Orange and a unit at Forbes. 

Compared to the region around Young, which could service a much wider area, creating more economies in travel time for patients and much less taxing on their health. 

These decision makers obviously didn’t think to check a map of the region to consider these impacts.

As we all know the self managed unit at Young Health Service was built with local citizens working hard, raising funds for the construction. 

The understanding was that when a managed satellite unit was justified it would be progressed. 

Over the last five years these studies, such as needs analysis, have taken place and proved affirmative. 

We understood that through 2014 we were just waiting for the minister’s signature to proceed.

So now we have this broken promise, we want it rectified with a unit at Young returning to the highest priority. 

I am certainly not suggesting that the decision to install the service at Cowra is reversed, but we want ours installed for all the reasons that have been stated many times.

I urge all citizens of Young Shire and the region surrounding to sign the petition over the next couple of weeks, let’s get our voices heard.

Councillor Stuart Freudenstein

Young Shire Council