Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

( I rise to mention a very important issue for residents of Blacktown. Blacktown will soon have a world-class cancer facility, which is a great thing. The new Blacktown Cancer Care Centre is due to open in 2015. It will be a wonderful asset for our local community.

But I want to mention a very important logistical issue, and that is parking access to the new facility. A number of community members want to make sure that the present free parking for patients attending oncology treatment is maintained when it moves to the new centre. They also want to ensure that those people undergoing radiotherapy are given the same consideration.

It is well recognised that parking is a problem for anyone attending hospital, but it certainly causes extra challenges for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These treatments often require attendance at hospital up to five days a week for something like six to eight weeks, and the side-effects of these treatments leave patients feeling nauseous and tired.

I want to place on record my thanks to the Blacktown Community Cancer Network and in particular its chairperson, former councillor Kathie Collins, who is leading the charge to provide free and accessible parking for cancer patients when the treatment centre opens in 2015. She has noted particularly that there is a huge financial burden on sufferers of cancer, and this burden includes that of parking. I am very pleased that Blacktown Hospital's general manager, Andrew Newton, has recognised the specific needs of cancer patients. I thank the hospital for that and I do hope we can reach a conclusion which will be satisfactory for all involved. (Time expired)

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