Updated May 27, 2015 08:44:11

The Young Shire Council is fighting the Murrumbidgee Local Health District's decision for a satellite renal unit to be installed in Cowra rather than Young.

The announcement earlier this month led to anger in Young.

Mayor, John Walker, says the community is upset, even though a new renal unit at Cowra will be an improvement on the current two and a half hour trip to Canberra.

The local community raised a lot of funds between 2005 and 2009 to have the self-managed renal service, understanding that it was the first step in a satellite service in Young. The local community are rather upset about it.

Young Shire Mayor, John Walker

"Well it's very disappointing to us as council, and as a member of the Local Health Advisory Committee, that they didn't keep us informed all the way through," he said.

"I got no clear message that the budget was allocated or that it was going away.

"I know the plans had been drawn up, I knew they were seeking funding and that's the last definite information that we received from the Minister or from Murrumbidgee Health."

A petition is circulating in Young, but Councillor Walker says it is hoped for a faster political response today.

Councillor Walker says Cootamundra MP, Katrina Hodgkinson, will raise the issue with Health Minister, Jillian Skinner, even though his request to meet the minister was rejected.

"That's very disappointing to me as a representative of the community," he said.

"The minister hopefully will listen to our local member but we'll have a second chance on Wednesday when the minister will be presenting to a delegation from the Central West who are going down to Parliament House to meet with a few ministers, Minister Skinner will be one of those ministers."

Councillor Walker says residents have long supported better renal services in the town.

"The local community raised a lot of funds between 2005 and 2009 to have the self-managed renal service, understanding that it was the first step in a satellite service in Young," he said.

"The local community are rather upset about it."

Topics: activism-and-lobbying, local-government, healthcare-facilities, liver-and-kidneys, regional, young-2594, cowra-2794, wagga-wagga-2650, orange-2800

First posted May 27, 2015 07:11:39

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