It is offensive that this was considered an appropriate remark to make.

Michael Kalimnios, along with a dedicated team at AWH, worked exceptionally hard throughout a pandemic no less to generate a clinical services plan and a master plan to raise the plight of AWH to a position where it could no longer be overlooked. To now reference his death as a means of trying to explain delay after delay is disrespectful, and not the truth of the matter.

The worst kept secret in the area is that our region needs a greenfield hospital.

While the endless discussions and processes unfold, the community will still be here, still in need of a new hospital, and as ever acutely aware of how different our situation would be if we were Ballarat or Wagga.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The majority of Indigo Shire councillors at their June 28 meeting voted for the draft 2022-2023 budget with very little alteration.

Thankfully there was some opposition. Great platitudes were spoken about the extent of community involvement in the framing of the budget.

There were more than 300 submissions before and after the draft budget.

Several councillors spoke of how good it was to read all the submissions and that the residents of Indigo Shire were so enthusiastically involved in the process.

What they failed to mention was the fact that the overwhelming majority of these 300 submissions wanted the council to concentrate on basic services and infrastructure, "rates, roads and rubbish". People want their roads, footpaths and drains repaired or in many cases constructed in the first place.

Yet what do the majority of councillors do? They voted for a budget that puts most emphasis on "rail trails and bike paths" instead of infrastructure that affects the everyday lives of the vast majority of people.

How many submissions will it take for Indigo Shire Council to change direction? 500? 1000? Hopefully one day soon the council will listen.

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