The Radiation Treatment Limestone Coast Working Party held a special meeting with South Australian Liberal leader David Speirs recently.

The group, which included Member for Barker Tony Pasin and Ben Hood MLC, met with Mr Speirs to discuss the importance of establishing a radiation treatment centre in the Limestone Coast.

Radiation Treatment Limestone Coast Working Party Chair Lachlan Haynes was very pleased with the meeting.

“David gave us a really good hearing, felt very sympathetic to our cause and saw the validity of our claims the Limestone Coast region should definitely be able to support something like this,” Mr Haynes said.

“He very favourably heard all our points brought forward about the case for needing this treatment and why we deserve it.

“He responded very well to the group, he really did have empathy for the situation and said he understood what we were telling him, and he said he really would support us as much as he could.”

During the meeting, Mr Haynes said people shared emotional personal stories and why they were passionate about the cause.

“He heard from many people in the working group who have been touched by cancer or have friends, relatives or community members touched by it,” Mr Haynes said.

“And the huge toll it takes, the huge cost involved for people having to travel long distances and stay for long periods of time in Adelaide or Warrnambool, which are the current localities the treatment is available at, and just how much they would love to be able to have it in their local area.

“Many of the people going through the treatments are ill and weak and need their family and friends as their support network.

“We discussed the incredible struggle, that is added on top of the struggle of cancer, of not being able to get the treatment closer to home, which would be so much better to aid their battle of cancer and long-term recovery.”

Mr Haynes said people also voiced their disappointment about the lack of support for the centre.

The former Coalition Government committed $4.3m in 2019 to fund radiation equipment required to service the Limestone Coast community.

However, this did not eventuate as the State Government refused to support the proposal with ongoing funding to cover out of pocket costs for patients.

“There is disappointment from the group that Tony Pasin has got the federal funding and it has been there for a number of years and how it was very unfortunate that it was not supported by the previous government,” he said.

“Now the new Malinauskas government is also not supporting it and also just general disappointment the LCLHN is also not supporting it currently in their dealings with the government in what they are putting forward about it.”

The online and hard copy petition has amassed more than 10,000 signatures and received at least 600 at the South East Field Days.

“It was a pleasure to meet with the Radiation Treatment Working Group during my most recent visit to Mount Gambier and add my signature to the 10,000 they now have on their petition calling on the Malinauskas Labor Government to support radiation treatment services in the Limestone Coast,” Mr Speirs said.

“My Liberal team and I have a huge focus on regional health and recognise the importance for communities to have world class services closer to home.

“Most families will sadly be impacted by cancer at some point in their lives, and country South Australians deserve the same standard of care as those in the city.

“Labor’s city-centric approach to this issue simply is not good enough.”

Mr Haynes encouraged everyone to sign the petition, preferably the hard copy version if possible.

“I think our next move will be pulling together the petitions and having them taken up to parliament and tabled up there for the advocacy to the Malinauskas government, which David said he would assist us with,” Mr Haynes said.

“We are hoping the size of the petition and the strength of support is evident through those numbers that we have the Malinauskas government re-think their position.

“It is not too late for the Malinauskas government, Minister Chris Picton and Grant King of the LCLHN to alter their position to align with the views of the people the Limestone Coast region who want this outcome.”