Committee for Lorne: A word from the Chairman

It’s been very interesting to read about the joint proposal that the Lorne Community Hospital and Otway Health Boards have been pursuing over the past 18 months exploring the integration and strengthening of our local health services.

During this time, both boards have been investigating the ability to share resources to ensure the long term sustainability of existing services.

The exploration has identified additional opportunities for a sustainable health service along the Great Ocean Road and as a result, Lorne Community Hospital and Otway Health are considering seeking approval from the Minister for Health and Human Services to combine operations under a single entity.

As with any proposal, it is important that both communities are kept well informed, have access to full information and are able to have input to this project.

Accordingly, both entities are inviting community members to be involved a series of “tea and talk” discussions. You are invited to a friendly chat over a cup of tea with members of the Lorne Community Hospital Board and the CEO, Kate Gillan, to discuss the views about both entities combining as one.

You are asked to register your interest to engage in these sessions and you can do so by simply contacting the Lorne Community Hospital on 5289 4386 or [email protected]. Make sure you do as this a milestone event in health service delivery for our region.

On Friday last, memories of the dangers of wildfire came flooding back as fires showed their unpredictability with out of control grass incidents in the Lara region. A t the start of our bushfire season it was a harsh reminder how we all need to be
on full alert and well planned over the coming months. It’s a stark reality that the environment in which we live is high risk and we need to be prepared.

While many of us were busy meeting Christmas deadlines and preparing for the high-volume tourism months that lay ahead and others were completing their final preparations for Christmas in Lorne, we also had members of our Community
from these groups and others that were called in to assist with management of the aftermath of last week’s fires. Again, our volunteers out in full force to assist above and beyond!

The Annual General Meeting of the Committee for Lorne is scheduled for 5.30m Friday afternoon at the Stribling Reserve multi-purpose room and so comes down the curtain on our sixth year of operation. I would like to thank those Committee members that have represented their individual Community Groups and been advocates over the past 12 months for the town we all love!

Ian Stewart
Chairman – Committee for Lorne