Nationals Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the early parenting support provided by Tresillian in Cowra has been an invaluable resource for the town and its surrounds.
During a visit to mark one year since the new centre opened its doors, Ms Cooke congratulated the team for the care and guidance they provide.
“It’s just over 12 months since I officially opened the new Tresillian Family Centre here in Cowra. The service has been a game-changer for young families who have been able to utilise the Tresillian support services without having to travel long distances out of town,” Ms Cooke said.
“Rochelle Longhurst and the team do a remarkable job. The one-on-one consultations that they provide are such an important asset for families in the region.
“When we opened the Family Centre back in February last year, the plan was to complement the Tresillian day services with two overnight beds in the new Cowra Hospital redevelopment. These beds would be the first Tresillian beds on this side of the Great Dividing Range.
“As we know, these plans were abruptly shelved late last year, however I am continuing to hold discussions with the Regional Health Minister about overturning this decision.
“The Minister is a big supporter of Tresillian and understands how important their services are in our rural and regional communities, and I sincerely thank him for keeping the lines of communication open, and for his willingness to hold further discussions around the future of the in-patient Tresillian beds in the new Cowra Hospital.
Cowra Tresillian Nurse Unit Manager Rochelle Longhurst said a lot of families expressed “sadness” when they heard the news that Tresillian in-patient beds were being excluded from the rebuild.
“The thought of those in-patient services not being available was very disheartening; we’d really like people to get behind Tresillian and support re-instating the beds in the new Cowra Hospital. It would be very beneficial for people to speak out, and let it be known that we need those beds and the services they will provide,” Mrs Longhurst said.
“It’s my fear that without them, there will be families that won’t access our services because of the costs involved in travelling far from home, not to mention the fact that new mothers who may be struggling, are often in a vulnerable state, and so need to be close to home where their family support network are,” she said.
