Questions & Answers Paper No. 158 - Parliament of New South ...
Questions & Answers Paper No. 158 - Parliament of New South ...
Questions & Answers Paper No. 158 - Parliament of New South ...
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7101<br />
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS<br />
MONDAY 12 OCTOBER 2009<br />
(1) and (2) The lifting <strong>of</strong> the embargo took effect on 25 September 2009, following the signing <strong>of</strong> a<br />
Memorandum <strong>of</strong> Understanding between the NSW and Australian Governments in relation to the<br />
purchase <strong>of</strong> water for the environment.<br />
*7496 GRENFELL MPS—Ms Katrina Hodgkinson asked the Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate Change and<br />
the Environment, and Minister for Commerce representing the Attorney General, Minister for Industrial<br />
Relations, Minister for Health, Minister for the Central Coast, Vice President <strong>of</strong> the Executive Council—<br />
(1) Will the Minister confirm reports from Grenfell residents that the Grenfell MPS does not have a<br />
VMO accredited to the facility?<br />
(2) How long has the Grenfell MPS not had a VMO available?<br />
(3) Given that frail and elderly patients have expressed their concerns that they have to travel long<br />
distances to Orange or Cowra hospitals for minor procedures that have to be performed by a medical<br />
practitioner, what action has the Minister taken to obtain the services <strong>of</strong> a relief or replacement<br />
VMO?<br />
Answer—<br />
I am advised:<br />
(1) to (3) Grenfell MPS does have a GP VMO appointed and credentialed to the facility.<br />
The GP VMO continues to provide services to patients in the acute area and the Emergency Department.<br />
The GP VMO is available On-Call for patients who present to the Emergency Department and are triaged<br />
as Category 1 or 2. The Rural Medical Call Service is utilised for Category 3, 4 or 5 presentations.<br />
The Greater Western Area Health Service continues efforts to recruit a locum to provide medical<br />
coverage for those patients not seen by the GP VMO. Recruitment action is also underway to recruit a<br />
VMO to an additional vacant position.<br />
*7497 LACHLAN VALLEY RAILWAY—Ms Katrina Hodgkinson asked the Minister for Transport, and<br />
Minister for the Illawarra—<br />
(1) Given that the Lachlan Valley Railway Society is now effectively restricted to operating in the<br />
immediate area <strong>of</strong> the Cowra Rail Depot by the suspension <strong>of</strong> operations on the Cowra-Demondrille<br />
rail line, will the Minister support the proposal by Lachlan Valley Railway to obtain a licence to<br />
operate and control the sections <strong>of</strong> the line between Blayney and Demondrille and Koorawatha and<br />
Greenethorpe?<br />
(2) Will the Minister instruct the Department <strong>of</strong> Transport and the Rail Infrastructure Corporation to<br />
assist the Lachlan Valley Railway to obtain a copy <strong>of</strong>:<br />
(a) a report <strong>of</strong> the condition <strong>of</strong> the rail line between Blayney and Demondrille;<br />
(b) a report <strong>of</strong> the condition <strong>of</strong> the rail line between Blayney to Cowra, closed 2 years ago;<br />
(c) a report <strong>of</strong> the condition <strong>of</strong> the rail line between Koorawatha and Greenethorpe, closed several<br />
months ago?<br />
Answer—<br />
(1) and (2) The Government announced in the <strong>No</strong>vember 2008 Mini Budget that services would be<br />
suspended on up to 5 lines on the Country Regional Network. A decision on this was delayed<br />
pending the completion <strong>of</strong> the Expression <strong>of</strong> Interest for the provision <strong>of</strong> Grain Haulage on branch<br />
lines and the Federal review <strong>of</strong> the transport <strong>of</strong> grain. I have since been advised that unless<br />
significant major works were carried out on the line, its condition would reach a state where the risk<br />
<strong>of</strong> continued operations would be unacceptable. I support any serious proposal to make use <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Blayney-Cowra-Demondrille and Koorawatha-Greenethorpe lines. I have asked Rail Infrastructure<br />
Corporation to assist the Lachlan Valley Railway Society in any application for a licence it may be<br />
considering by providing it with access to the track so that Lachlan Valley Railway Society can make<br />
its own assessment <strong>of</strong> the condition <strong>of</strong> the track and bridges.<br />
I am advised that if the Lachlan Valley Railway Society wishes to pursue an arrangement to maintain<br />
the track and operate rolling stock on any non operational line it will need to obtain appropriate<br />
accreditation from the Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator and enter into an<br />
agreement with the Rail Infrastructure Corporation. The Lachlan Valley Railway Society will also<br />
need to satisfy itself <strong>of</strong> the condition <strong>of</strong> the line and establish its own systems to ensure safe<br />
operations.<br />
8 SEPTEMBER 2009<br />
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