All seven Limestone Coast mayors have thrown their support behind the campaign for a radiation treatment centre to be established in the region, unanimously joining the fight and adding their signatures to the community petition. It was in June last year that the City of Mount Gambier started to focus on following up the status of the $4.3million dollar Federal Government grant, allocated in 2019, to set up a radiation treatment centre in the Limestone Coast, contacting key players including the Limestone Coast Local Health Network chair Grant King, Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell, Member for Barker Tony Pasin, South Australian Minister for Health Chris Picton and the Minister for Regional Development Clare Scriven. Moving forward with the centre will require a $3million dollar annual commitment from the SA Government.<\/p>\n
Mr Pasin and council met in October and by December a community campaign was starting to gain momentum on the back of key stakeholder meetings and a community forum with potential centre operator the Icon Group that month. A petition was launched last month in conjunction with the establishment of a working group so having the member councils of the Limestone Coast Local Government Association add their voices to the campaign last month at their inaugural 2023 meeting.<\/p>\n
Newly elected LCLGA president Mayor Lynette Martin OAM said the decision to provide the LCLGA\u2019s advocacy for the campaign was one of the quickest and easiest made by the member councils. \u201cThe Limestone Coast community is significantly disadvantaged when requiring access to this critical lifesaving and pain\u0002reducing treatment, with the nearest services being available in Warrnambool and Adelaide,\u201d Mayor Martin said. \u201cThe residents of the Limestone Coast Region deserve this facility. It\u2019s just not right in today\u2019s day and age that our community can\u2019t access lifesaving and lifechanging radiation treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n