Just ask around town – what are you most proud of in Lorne?

While there would be a spread of opinion, a few recurring themes would likely rise—like cream—to the top: our sense of community; our incomparable mix-and-mingle venues [like the A-team, to name but one]; the natural beauty of the ‘Lorne amphitheatre’ [its golden beach and forested hills]; our steadfast resistance to over-development, over-capitalisation, and high-rise buildings [though these battles continue]; the hospitality of our hospitality; and the quiet peace of winter after the frantic hubbub of summer. Though these [and more] would make the cut on anyone’s list, I have purposefully left the best till last … our local hospital.

The pride we all share in our local hospital, the doctors, nurses, allied health and service staff, kitchen and ground staff, and the approachable and efficient administrative staff is second to none. All offer friendly, competent, no-fanfare service to our community. They are local people who live in our local community and raise their families here. Without our local hospital and other essential services—the Ambos, SES, CFA, and Police—Lorne would be a husk without a kernel.

One word stands out in that introduction … local.

The Oxford Dictionary defines local as … relating to, or characteristic of a particular place, not general or widespread.

When discussing the meaning of ‘being local’, Tom Inglis wrote: “… a sense of place is a strong marker of identity and is central to people’s knowledge and understanding of themselves and others” – https://tinyurl.com/localbelonging. While he wasn’t, he could have been describing Lorne.

By ‘sense of place’, he means: “… the emotive bonds and attachments people develop or experience in particular locations and environments from the home to the nation”… incidentally, a concept currently being sorely stressed by the uneducated educated in Australian universities.

These principles may soon be stressed in Lorne as a new threat looms over a local institution critical to our ‘sense of place’—our hospital and healthcare services. While another source describes the value of a local hospital as “… creating jobs and contributing to the economic and social well-being of the community,” I would go further: the local hospital is the beating heart of its community.

Some may have read recent press reports about the planned amalgamation of 76 regional and local healthcare boards and administrations into a half dozen super-boards. For Lorne, it would mean back to Barwon Health [BH]—again—but not quite the same BH we knew last time. It will be a vastly expanded healthcare behemoth, its responsibilities ranging from the Bellarine peninsula to the South Australian Border. One overarching board and administration would control/apportion all staffing and funding.

Questions …

• Would the leadership team at BH (a) understand and (b) properly value the small regional services within its vast new area of responsibility?
• Would the BH leadership team understand the management challenges facing a small service exposed to the peaks and troughs typical of Lorne’s summer/winter populations?

On ABC Shepparton [https://tinyurl.com/mvwb2d3d], a Victorian Hospitals Association spokesperson warned that:

• Over 20 Victorian health services will have their budgets slashed.
• Regional hospital managers face funding clawbacks of up to 30% [with their jobs part of the proposed ‘efficiency drive’].
• The Victorian government is ‘considering advice’ on hospital mergers.

On ABC Bendigo [12/06/24], Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas was asked about potential hospital mergers. Acknowledging that “… the Victorian healthcare network comprises many small, independently governed hospitals” [ie. just like Lorne], she went on to state “… the government will not close any hospitals as part of a shake-up of healthcare in Victoria under my watch”… though who knows how long that watch will last.

My take? … ‘will not close’? —perhaps not … but eviscerate? —quite likely.

After talking with our local hospital CEO, the very approachable Sandy Chamberlin, several [semi-]reassuring points emerged. Note: the following is not a verbatim transcript but my interpretation of our discussion.

Sandy’s starting point was that the coming change is inevitable. The die has been cast. It will happen, like it or not. What matters is … how best to manage it … though our valued manager may no longer be in place to manage!

Great Ocean Road Health—Lorne [GORH-L] and Apollo Bay [GORH-AB]—is relatively well placed compared to other small regional services. 61% of funding comes from the Commonwealth, whilst 39% comes from the State.
The local board and CEO position will be abolished in the coming restructure. While this would inevitably result in a significant loss of local leadership, on-the-ground services would likely not be greatly affected … at least for now [NB: at interview, Sandy was in an invidious position, as her own job is under direct threat].
GORH is well-positioned to weather this first restructuring phase, having expanded its ancillary and allied services in the last five years. However, these services may prove vulnerable to future [yet unscripted] pruning. As for any future ‘phases’, who knows?
GORH benefits from a stable, dedicated, loyal, and locally domiciled staff whose jobs will likely remain unaltered—at least for now. Most mooted changes will occur in administration rather than at the care-delivery coal face.
BH would presumably establish a new department to manage its new, small town/small hospital/small healthcare regional commitments. However, my warning bells are ringing, for it seems inevitable that a fresh tier of centralised bureaucracy would soon mushroom to replicate the abandoned local administrations yet would work remotely from the local communities it purports to represent and manage. As for the mega-Board, I fear it may be ‘Lorne — where’s Lorne?’
Decisions [HR, staff appointments, funding priorities, etc.] would be centralised at BH with likely scant regard for local circumstances.
On the positive side, both GORH-L and GORH-AB have cash resources raised from local sources [e.g. Lorne’s incomparable Op Shop] in bank accounts protected from plunder or acquisition by the Victorian Health Department. However, this may not be so for other small regional health services.
Though GORH would lose its Board and CEO to BH, most other services would likely continue [for now] with little discernible change at a community level. However, as sequential intrusions into local service autonomy often follow such fundamental changes, assurances given now may not always be honoured in the future.

There is something seductively heart-warming about ‘being a local’… whether as a local resident, a local policeman, a local fireman, ambo or SES worker, a local supermarket employee, or a local tradie… but above all, a local hospital. And … nothing matters more to ‘locals’ than their health—particularly in a community replete with retirees. A threat to local healthcare is a threat to local core values.

It is hard not to feel cynical and grumpy when billions have been wasted on building city railway loops to nowhere and massive city infrastructure projects that are over-budget and over-schedule. Meanwhile, in the regions, roads crumble, gigantic windmills desecrate the countryside, and health services are threatened by far-distant centralisation. While we all know our government is broke [a problem entirely of its own making], the regions are again being made to ‘cough up’. At the same time, city folk will soon enjoy train rides from Aspendale to Greensborough [why?] or drive under the Yarra without getting wet. For the cynic in me, that is the inescapable conclusion.

Again, Country Peter [us] is being asked to pay City Paul [them] … and Country Peter isn’t thrilled!

John Agar
Feature Writer

A word from the chairman

Hello

The Committee for Lorne met last week and one of its more pleasant tasks was to decide the recipient(s) of the Doug and Mary Stirling Community Cup.

The Cup is awarded on a biennial basis to recognise outstanding community service.

It is named after the initial recipients of the award, Doug and Mary Stirling. Doug is one of Lorne’s oldest residents, having recently celebrated his 102nd birthday. Happy Birthday Doug!

It will come as no surprise to those who know them and the work they do for our community, that this year’s award goes to Clive and Lesley Goldsworthy, and that they were nominated in all categories of outstanding service.

That is, education, community, business, culture and the arts, health, environment and sport.

The history of Clive and Lesley’s contribution speaks for itself.

They have been an amazing team and have had a very significant impact on our community.

They have together filled, and continue to fill and support each other in the following roles:

Lorne Ward Councillor for 8 years and Deputy Mayor (C)
President of the Lorne Country Club for 10 years (C)
Treasurer of the Lorne Football and Netball Club for 11 years (C)
Chair of the Spirit Foundation (C)
Treasurer of Lorne Community Connect (C)
Treasurer of Lorne RSL (C)
Treasurer of Lorne Cricket Club (C)
Treasurer of Stribling Reserve Committee of Management (C)
Treasurer of Lorne Historical Society (C)
Secretary of the Lions Village (C)
Committee Member, Committee for Lorne (C)
Committee Member, Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club (C)
Board Member of Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism (C)
President Lorne Community Connect (L)
Past President and currently Vice Captain Ladies Golf (L)

Their achievements include:

Sourcing funds from the state government to enable the Men’s Shed to be established (C).
Revitalizing /saving Lorne Seniors Citizens (now Lorne Community Connect) (C and L)
Revitalizing Lorne RSL (C)
Spearheading the funding and development of Stribling Reserve (C)
Turning around the finances at the Lorne Country Club (C)
Setting up a Trust to support Casey Tutungi, and Wye River after the bushfires (C)
Quietly supporting people who are struggling in various ways, and welcoming new residents (C and L)
Instigating the Snappers group at the LAAC (“which has become a practical way of welcoming newcomers to the community”) (L)

It is interesting to note that this is the third time (out of six) that the award has been presented jointly to a couple, which demonstrates that community service and contribution often require the commitment of both partners.

While there are many in our community who donate their time and skills for the benefit of others, I am sure you will agree that Clive and Lesley are worthy recipients of this award.

Congratulations to you both and thank you for your contribution to our community.

The award will be presented at a Committee for Lorne lunch to be held at the Stribling Reserve Community Pavilion on Friday September 20. Save the date and stay tuned for further details.

Cheers