By leave: I contribute to debate on this very important motion. I commend my friend and colleague Dr Joe McGirr, who is from my home town of Wagga Wagga. I note some of the comments about the crisis across all sorts of areas in the health system just noted by my colleague the member for Bega. This is my ninth year in this place, and I cannot recall how many times I have stood here and spoken about the Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital, which will soon be 100 years old. I implored the previous Government to look at the needs of my community. The tertiary hospital, Nepean Hospital, sits down on the plains, and the Blue Mountains hospital is about 70 kilometres from that hospital.

We need to actually address the needs of a growing population. Various clinicians and various community members over those 8½ years have been coming to talk to me about the need for the Government to urgently address a range of issues. I am pleased that the Minns Labor Government has decided that it, together with members across the political spectrum representing a range of regional and rural areas, will look at and inquire into recommendations that address these issues in areas we know are in crisis.

Just for the record, I asked the previous Government in 2018 whether it could conduct a full review and refresh of the clinical services plan for the Blue Mountains hospital and Springwood Hospital, and whether it would allocate funds to allow planning for redevelopment of those services. I asked for planning and funding money for geriatric services. I asked for a major upgrade of X-ray and CT equipment to ensure that Blue Mountains residents had access to new-generation, low-dosing imaging and did not have to travel to Bathurst or to Nepean. I talked about how 73 per cent of Blue Mountains residents have to travel out of area in order to access the services they need. A staggering 90 per cent of residents requiring surgery currently travel out of area for their procedures.

The Blue Mountains has a growing population, with more than 85,000 people. It is an ageing population. When 45 per cent to 50 per cent of Blue Mountains babies are born down the road and we cannot offer those services in our local area, it has to be a priority of this Government to address the needs of rural and regional communities around this significant issue of health. I have banged on for 8½ years about no funding, no progress, no plans and all of the inadequacies. Today I commend the member for Wagga Wagga for bringing this important motion to the House. I have had arguments with governments of all persuasions about the need to reclassify the Blue Mountains hospital so that it is not considered part of Greater Sydney but recognised as being located in its own region. I know that it will require lots of funds, commitment and planning, but I note the needs of my Blue Mountains community in terms of health.