The heat is about to be turned up on the State Government to fast track plans for the use of the former Maitland Hospital site which local MP Jenny Aitchison said looks derelict and fears will soon fall into a state of disrepair.
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Ms Aitchison is eager to see action taken now on the old campus, sections of which have been barricaded, after she received reports that parts of the roof have collapsed.
She said no decision has been made on the site's future and she will continue to call on the government, as she has for many years, to act and consult the community about how the landmark site can be best used. The hospital relocated into a new $470m hospital at Metford earlier this year.
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A Hunter New England Health spokesperson said: "We recognise the significance of the old hospital campus to the community, and have a robust maintenance schedule in place.
"The campus is still in use by a small number of community and mental health teams who provide care for Lower Hunter communities.
"These teams will remain onsite until the new $22m Maitland Integrated Community and Community Mental Health Services building, announced in the 2022-2023 State budget, is built at the new hospital in Metford.
"The future of the old campus will be determined by Property NSW, and will be decided in line with relevant government guidelines and policies," the spokesperson said.
Ms Aitchison said it's far too important as both a heritage site, and more importantly a significant space close to the Maitland CBD, for it be left to rack and ruin.
"I have had suggestions from members of the community for a wide range of uses for the site, all of which I have passed on to the Minister for Health.
"I understand the site is now being managed by Property NSW. I am making the same representation to the relevant minister," she said.
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Donna Sharpe
Donna Sharpe is a multi award winning journalist who has covered news across Newcastle and the Hunter for 40 years. She started her cadetship with The Maitland Mercury in 1981 and in 1995 moved to The Newcastle Herald where she spent 17 years covering local government, crime and general news. She returned to The Mercury in 2015 and has been editor since July 2021.
Donna Sharpe is a multi award winning journalist who has covered news across Newcastle and the Hunter for 40 years. She started her cadetship with The Maitland Mercury in 1981 and in 1995 moved to The Newcastle Herald where she spent 17 years covering local government, crime and general news. She returned to The Mercury in 2015 and has been editor since July 2021.
