CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 78, Issue 7017, 9 February 1949, Page 7

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PROVISION OF HOSPITAL SERVICES LETTER TO MINISTER OF HEALTH With regard to the acquisition of land in Te Awamutu for hospital purposes, Mr A. G. Warburton, at last evening’s meeting of the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce, tabled a copy of a letter which, if approved by members, would be forwarded to the Minister of Health, Miss Mabel Howard. The letter read:— i “The district of Te Awamutu generally comprises the Te Rau-a-Moa and Wharepapa Ridings of Otorohanga County; the Kakepuku, Mangapiko, Rangiaohia and Orakau Ridings of Waipa County and the Te Awamutu Borough. For the present year the hospital rating levy in this area is £ll,OlO. Next year, with the revaluation of Waipa County, the levy will exceed £16,000 and in the following year, with the re-valuation of Te Awamutu Borough, the levy will be in the region of £17,500. Within the area there is at present a population in excess of 14,000 and a steady increase is taking place. Apart from maternity hospitals scant service is available and there is ever a waiting list for admission' to the Waikato Hospital 18 miles distant from the Borough. Generally this district is reliant on private hospitals for the provision of service for urgent cases. It is currently reported that your Department refused authority for the expenditure of £4OO for the purchase of land offered by a then willing vendor. It is also currently reported that your Department consistently refuses permission to the Hospital Board to acquire from a now unwilling vendor a 3 site which, in the opinion of the Board’s advisers, is suitable for hospital purposes. Whilst recognising that ruling conditions may delay any building programme, there seems no reason why a suitable and sufficient area of land should not be acquired and set aside for hospital purposes in the future. In fact, many phases of development which are taking place here would appear to make it unwise and shortsighted not to acquire and set aside a site while there is yet opportunity to do so. Can it be asked that you will indicate your Department’s view of the proposals submitted by the Waikato Hospital Board and especially state what provision your Department regards as being necessary and desirable for the hospital needs of this district ? The facts that bear emphasis are that there is now a district population of 14,000 with prospect, in the opinion of the Government’s Town Planning and other competent advisers, of increase to over 20,000 within a few years; and that th<?re is also prospect—unless some change in public hospital finance policy is contemplated—of a rating levy on this locality which will exceed '£20,000 per annum before many more years have passed:” Dr J. B. W. Roberton drew attention to the Minister’s attitude when she visited Te Awamutu lo meet a hospital delegate last year. Miss Howard, on that occasion was not in favour of land be.ng held for a future hospital. He thought a reply to the above letter might be on similar lines. Submission of the letter to the Minister was approved by the Chamber.