Ten GP clinics across four states and territories previously owned by Tristar Medical Group have failed to attract a buyer and will cease operations on Friday.
Key points:
Tristar Medical Group’s administrators announce 10 clinics will stop operating on Friday
The clinics are located in Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory and the ACT
The closure means there is no longer a doctor working in the central Victorian town of Avoca
McGrathNichol Restructuring were appointed as Tristar Medical Group’s administrators in May after the company owed creditors more than $9.3million.
“It is regrettable that the clinics must close,” administrator Matthew Caddy said.
“In the absence of buyers for the clinics, which are loss-making, we have been left with no other option.”
Clinics include those at Avoca, Ararat, Dandenong and Grovedale in Victoria, Kempsey and West Wyalong in New South Wales, and at Bruce in Canberra.
Three Northern Territory centers across Darwin and Palmerston will also close.
The administrators said doctors and staff working at the clinics had been advised of the closure.
The ABC heard that there was a potential buyer for the 10 clinics, but that deal fell through at the last minute and clinic staff were only notified of the closure on Tuesday afternoon.
The Family Doctor group on August 5 purchased 12 of Tristar’s clinics, which were mainly located in Victoria.
Bulk billing ‘unsustainable’
Tristar medical clinics offered bulk-billing patients but Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Karen Price said it was unsustainable.
“We’ve had a prolonged Medicare freeze and then inadequate indexation,” she said.
She said the last Medicare increase saw patients get back 1.6 per cent more from the government, but inflation had gone up 6 per cent.
“Patients need to demand more from their government to support access to primary care.”
Avoca loses doctors
In the regional Victorian town of Avoca, locals face having to drive nearly an hour to access standard health services, such as prescriptions and check-ups.
Pyrennes Shire Council Mayor Ron Eason said the community was ‘extremely disappointed’ and ‘concerned’.
“It’s been eight to 12 weeks since the Tristar closed,” Mr Eason said.
“The community is desperately trying to find a doctor. They’re traveling to Ballarat or Maryborough, Clunes or Beaufort.”
He said there was some concern for the aging population in the small town, with life “difficult enough” during the pandemic.
“Avoca lost the [health] facilities four or five years ago. We built up a degree of anger,” Mr Eason said.
He said Tristar “did a wonderful job” and drew people from Maryborough to Avoca.
“That’s now gone, and we’ve got to find a medical service to replace it. What that is, I don’t know,” Mr Eason said.
Dr Price says people least able to pay are often those in greatest need of GP services.(pixabay)
Cities are not immune
Dr Price said GP clinics were struggling nationwide, particularly in areas that relied on bulk-bullying.
“[These areas are] often where there are patients with higher disadvantage, and those areas with higher disadvantage will often have more chronic disease,” she said.
“This is what we call the inverse care law, that those people least able to pay often have the greatest need for services and we are very concerned about this.
“We’re going to see more mixed billing where a large proportion of patients are charged.”
Dr Price said most GPs were “very compassionate people” and would keep trying to bulk-bill disadvantaged people.
“But certainly, there’s a lot more gap charges for more Australians.”
The administrators said a separate sale of the Mount Gambier practice was expected to be finalized soon.
A record low rental vacancy rate is driving up property prices in Broome, with WA’s North West town becoming the top performing regional center for median house sale price growth in the most recent industry figures.
Real Estate Institute of WA data for the June quarter shows median house prices in the holiday hot spot increased by 4.7 per cent to $649,000 and shot up by 18 per cent in the 12 months to June.
The town was behind only Port Hedland which saw a 28.2 per cent growth in the same period.
Broome’s dire rental vacancy rate was recorded as zero by REIWA in March, appears to be forcing would-be tenants to buy instead.
Ray White Broome sales consultant Giles Tipping said real estate agents in the region could foresee the trend, even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“The supply of rental properties available for all the Government departments and the like to lease was drying up every year, so we got to a point, I think it was in about July 2019, where there was probably only about approximately 40 houses available to rent in the whole of Broome,” he revealed.
“With that low supply of rental housing obviously rentals were climbing higher and higher and there was less choice for tenants so more tenants were sort of filtering into the sales market and as rent were climbing as well, it was becoming better value to buy.”
The trent was further compounded by the pandemic, with closed borders exposing Broome to a new wave of buyers from across the country, as well as a lagging building industry placing further pressure on supply issues.
“Those influences are coming together and creating this pressure for the sales market,” Mr Tipping added.
In Busselton, which was the second highest regional performer for the June quarter with a 4.5 per cent growth in its median house sales price, the opportunity to work remotely is drawing in a new wave of Perth buyers looking for a lifestyle change.
The Busselton Jetty. Credit: Supplied/Supplied
Busselton’s house median, which now sits at $610,000, is also being pushed up by interstate investors and buyers with the airport and direct flights to Melbourne a major drawcard.
First National Real Estate Busselton general manager Matthew Snaddon said these factors were fueling the market, with the popular coastal town bucking the national trend of increasing supply.
“We are having conversations with buyers and they’re making the comments that they’ve got the opportunity to work remotely so lifestyle following COVID is one of the primary factors that buyers are looking at when choosing property now,” he said.
While Broome and Busselton were the standouts, the REIWA data showed a total of eight regional centers recorded median house sale price growth during the quarter.
Additionally, all nine regional centers experienced median house sale price growth on an annual basis.
Meanwhile, in Perth, the stock of properties listed for sale in July was 4.6 per cent higher than a year ago but new listings last month were down 15.7 per cent compared to June, according to the PropTrack Listings Report July 2022.
“The stock of properties listed for sale in Perth is still down around 15 per cent compared to the average over the past 10 years. While that means options are somewhat limited, it is an improvement compared to recent conditions and the stock of properties listed for sale is up 4.6 per cent compared to a year ago,” PropTrack Economist and report author Angus Moore said.
“Even so, buyers in Perth are facing fewer options than is the case for buyers in Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra, where the total stock listed for sale is back around, or even above, the decade averages.
“By comparison, buyers in Adelaide and Brisbane have even fewer options, with the total number of properties listed for sale in both those cities down more than a third compared to the decade average.”
Paul McKenna can still feel the dread in his stomach when he thinks about driving his locomotive along Rockhampton’s Denison Street.
Key points:
Retired train driver Paul McKenna says the Rockhampton rail level crossing is one of the most dangerous he’s encountered when it comes to near misses
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union is calling on Queensland Rail to change the rail freight route, so it bypasses Rockhampton city
Queensland Rail says there are no plans to upgrade the level crossing
“It’s sheer luck that there hasn’t been more people killed down that street,” he says.
For a two-kilometre stretch through the middle of Rockhampton, freight trains travel down the middle of Denison street after leaving the Rockhampton station yard.
It’s one of the only freight lines in Queensland that still runs through the middle of a city, according to the Rail Union.
Mr McKenna, a retired train driver from Yeppoon who spent 33 years in the industry, said he would encounter a near-miss almost every second time he would drive along the Denison street line.
For a two-kilometre stretch through the middle of Rockhampton, freight trains travel along Denison street after leaving the Rockhampton rail station yard.(Supplied: Jacob Howard)
“People seem to pull up at the stop signs and they don’t look for trains, they look for traffic and they just take off in front of you and you pretty well haven’t got a chance to stop,” Mr McKenna said.
“You’ve got pedestrians that just walk out in front of you.
“You’d come home and you’d stay awake at night if you got close to hitting people.
“It was pretty scary… It needs to be moved.”
Earlier this year, data from the Department of Transport and Main Roads released by the RACQ revealed that the intersection of Denison and Derby St was one of the worst intersections for serious crashes in the state.
The intersection ranked fourth, with seven serious crashes and 11 people seriously injured between June 2018 and May 2021.
Calls to move rail freight line for safety
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union’s Craig Allen says the Dennison Street rail level crossing is the largest in the southern hemisphere and is unique in that it runs through the middle of a city.
The union is calling on Queensland Rail to bypass Rockhampton city, in line with the city’s ring road project.
“Members have identified the whole of Denison Street as one of the most dangerous level crossings they’ve ever encountered,” Mr Allen said.
“From our driver’s perspective, they see the horror in these people’s faces when they’re in the train and they’re about to collide with them.
The Denison Street rail level crossing in Rockhampton.(ABC Capricorn: Rachel McGhee)
“The freight infrastructure around Rockhampton is still 19th century… it still hasn’t been upgraded. It’s time we got rail into the 21st century and eliminated all these dangerous rail crossings.”
It’s a call Mr McKenna supports.
“Eliminate the risk… it takes its toll over the years,” he said.
“You nearly can pick which one’s going to come out in front of you. They appear to look up the road for cars, but they don’t see the train and then they take off and you can’t stop.
“If there’s an opportunity to change it, they should jump at it.”
‘No plans’ to upgrade Denison Street level crossing
Queensland Rail head of regional, Jim Benstead said he was committed to level-crossing safety through investment in education, engineering upgrades and working closely with the police on enforcement.
“While there are no current plans to upgrade the level crossing or track infrastructure through the Denison and Derby Street intersection in Rockhampton, Queensland Rail is working with council to identify any potential safety improvements,” Mr Benstead said.
“In the last financial year (2021-2022) we saw 94 near misses on the network across regional Queensland.
“Since 2017, there have been nine incidents at the Denison and Derby Street level crossing, including one traffic incident earlier this year.”
There are calls for the rail line to be diverted around Rockhampton, in line with the city’s Ring Road project, out of safety concerns.(Supplied: Jacob Howard)
Mr Benstead said all level crossings were fitted with signs and signals to warn of an approaching train and people had to take responsibility and heed the warnings.
“There is also an $18 million regional level-crossing program underway, which has so far delivered upgrades to level crossings in Portsmith, Edmonton, Chinchilla and Cardwell in North Queensland,” he said.
“Queensland Rail is asking everyone in the community to prioritize their own safety around trains.”
Water flowing into South Australia has hit a six-year high at 53 gigalitres a day, as a report reveals full storages and wet conditions across the Murray-Darling Basin.
Key points:
Flows into South Australia are the highest in six years, at 53 gigalitres
Many storage catchments are reaching peak capacity
Department for Environment and Water says the river flow peak is expected in September
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) Murray River annual outlook, released yesterday, showed southern basin storages are at unusually high levels for this time of year, with the Hume Dam sitting at 95 per cent capacity.
It comes as the Dartmouth Dam records 97 per cent capacity, the Menindee Lakes sits at 115 per cent capacity and Lake Victoria at 62 per cent.
The MDBA said the storages have been bolstered by healthy flows entering the Murray River from the Murrumbidgee and Goulburn rivers and other Victorian tributaries.
“The primary purpose of both the Dartmouth and Hume Dams is to store water to meet irrigation and other entitlements, so that’s our focus,” MDBA executive director of river management, Andrew Reynolds said.
He said irrigators and environmental water entitlement holders were in a good position to receive full entitlements this season, and that the MDBA was set up to manage the risk of shortfalls.
“If we do get a sudden hot period of weather and a spike in demands, it can be a bit harder for us to manage, but we’ll work closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to adapt to the season ahead,” he said.
Some roads and walking paths around the Riverland have been flooded.(Supplied: Gabriella Fraser)
Caution urged for river users
At the South Australian border, Murray River flows have reached 53 gigalitres of water a day for the first time in six years, prompting one river council with low-lying areas to issue a formal warning.
Mid Murray Mayor Dave Burgess said river users and property owners in the district are encouraged to be wary of faster currents, higher water levels and submerged debris.
“We don’t expect to reach flood risk levels, but based on current forecasts, we’re encouraging property owners and residents to take precautions just in case,” he said.
When flows reach above 60GL a day at the SA-Victoria border, low-lying areas and flood plains become inundated and flood advice is issued to shack areas between Cadell and Mannum.
Recent rains in the Murrumbidgee catchment will flow down to South Australia in September.(ABC Riverina: Olivia Calver)
Even bigger flows on the way
Heavy rains in the upper parts of the Murray and Murrumbidgee catchment last weekend totaled up to 150 millimetres in rainfall in some areas, which means South Australia’s flow levels are yet to peak.
The MDBA has commenced airspace management releases from the Dartmouth and Hume Dams, and big releases from Burrinjuck Dam in the Murrumbidgee system.
Department for Environment and Water manager of water delivery Chrissie Bloss said peak flows were still four to six weeks away.
“It’s really too early to forecast what those peaks might look like, but what we know for certain is that flows will be elevated for some months in the Riverland,” she said.
Pauline Follett has been struggling to get on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for three years and is “frustrated” with the health system.
The 54-year-old has been living with cerebral lupus for nearly 30 years and depends on her disability pension as her main source of income.
Lupus can damage nerves in the body through inflammation of nerves or the tissues surrounding them.
The condition affects Ms Follett’s balance, which makes it difficult for her to walk and do tasks such as cooking, cleaning and driving.
She lives by herself in Gol Gol, in far west New South Wales, and has limited support.
“It becomes very difficult when you become too unwell to stay in one’s home. You have to have support when you’re disabled,” Ms Follett said.
Pauline Follett lives on the border between Victoria and New South Wales.(ABC NewsRichard Crabtree)
The first time she applied for NDIS, she said the assessors focused “on the wrong thing”, that she lives with osteoporosis rather than lupus.
The second time Ms Follett applied, she said she was told her specialists could do more for her.
The support she receives is from a local disability service provider, but only includes assistance with transportation and cleaning.
And that support is not guaranteed, as Ms Follett is reassessed for it every six weeks.
That has meant she has made nearly 30 applications over the past three years to maintain the help.
“It’s all up in the air, all the time … You’re not guaranteed, it’s very tiring,” she said.
“You have to be on the ball all the time, which is difficult when you’re ill.”
Uncertainty exacerbates condition
She likes living in her own home but without the right help, she believes she could be forced to leave and fears being unable to find stable aged care accommodation, which would put her at risk of homelessness.
Pauline Follett hopes to get NDIS support after being rejected twice.(ABC NewsRichard Crabtree)
“Item [aged care] is difficult to get here. It’s not as readily available to us, so to have something like that. It’d be very hard to access,” she said.
Ms Follett said the uncertainty of NDIS providing support had affected her mental health, which had taken a toll on her physically.
“I’m very stressed, and with my lupus, stress is something that exacerbates my condition, so it makes it worse,” she said.
Ms Follett is not alone in finding access to services difficult.
Calls on government to do more
Disability Advocacy NSW released The Aussie Battlers report to the ABC, detailing issues people living with disabilities face in rural, regional and remote (RRR) NSW.
It showed 61 per cent of cases in RRR areas had difficulties meeting evidence requirements due to limited accessibility of service providers.
In RRR NSW, 73 per cent of people reported their service accessibility as poor or very poor.
Disability Advocacy NSW policy officer Cherry Baylosis said the results were not surprising.
Cherry Baylosis contributed to The Aussie Battlers report.(ABC Broken Hill: Youssef Saudie)
“It is concerning when I confirmed these experiences persist despite some of the efforts that were made,” Dr Baylosis said.
She is calling on the government to involve people with disabilities in policymaking.
“At the very least to have consultations with people with disabilities who live in remote areas for better engagement and participation, and then developing considerations within policy based off that,” she said.
“I would like policy to take into consideration the complexities of people with disability living in regional, rural and remote areas to consider the complications — such as the cost of living with a disability.”
Delays from service providers
There are 750 NDIS recipients in far west New South Wales as of June 30, but far west NSW Disability Advocacy district manager Eveleen May said there would be a “lot more” people who were in need of assistance.
She said a lack of healthcare workers and their retention in the region was a contributing factor.
“Doctors find themselves in a position of not having enough time to actually write up a very strong report to help a person access the scheme,” she said.
The research found that due to limited services for participants in RRR, it takes 2.4 times longer to resolve a matter compared to those in metropolitan areas.
Sometimes the delay is due to difficulties in obtaining evidence.
“We have doctors come and go and not often stick around for a long period of time, and we hear from our clients the waiting lists can be quite lengthy,” she said.
Eveleen May says the further west people with disabilities live in NSW, the greater the issues they face.(Supplied: Eveleen May)
Ms May said the further west you traveled into NSW, the greater the financial and service issues were.
“Broken Hill has very much of an aging population, and a high number of Aboriginal people who have a disability too,” she said.
All Pauline Follett wants is to stay in her home with ease as she applies for NDIS the third time.
“I have a permanent disability, and I’m not going to get any better. If I don’t get this service, well, then I’m on my own, and that stresses me out a lot,” she said.
NDIA acknowledges ‘need to improve’
A National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) spokesperson said they empathised with Ms Follett’s situation. They said services had “a strong focus on connecting Australians with a disability to local supports”.
NDIA says they will continue to work with government for people in rural and regional areas.(AAP)
“The agency acknowledges the need to continue to improve the NDIS so that it works for everyone,” they said.
“This includes addressing the historical challenges faced by people with disability in finding support services in rural and remote areas, including parts of far western New South Wales.
“The NDIA will work proactively with the government to work through issues for people in rural and regional areas accessing the scheme.”
John Seccombe had regularly checked his skin and even had small cancers on his face removed, but nothing prepared him for the moment when the right side of his face went numb.
Key points:
Farmers older than 65 have a high risk of developing melanomas
8,032 people were diagnosed with melanomas in 2021
The number is expected to grow to more than 11,000 by 2030
He was a fair-skinned boy who grew up on a farm.
Later in life, he managed a cattle station and a feedlot at Gurly Station, south of Moree in north west New South Wales, before becoming the chair of Casino Food Co-op, the largest meat co-op in the country.
He was aware of the danger of skin cancers, regularly went to the dermatologist, and had a squamous cell carcinoma removed in his 30s.
But the disease returned, and this time, it was a “rampant” cancer that was heading into his brain stem, crushing a facial nerve.
According to his doctors, it was a death sentence.
“I had to under go radiation for two years, at the end of that it was still growing and they gave me 12 months to live and said ‘go home and hug your children’,” Mr Seccombe said.
Skin cancer death rates for farmers over 65 are double that of other Australians.(Supplied: John Seccombe)
That was 22 years ago.
Mr Seccombe was saved by radical experimental surgery that involved three operations on his face.
“I had to have three lots of craniotomies, where they enter your face through the skull base,” he said.
“They removed as much damaged tissue as they could but it left my right eye left in a precarious position so I had to have another one, removed my eye, and I basically lost the right side of my face.”
Check your skin
Melanomas can be extremely serious, but there are ways of identifying them.(Supplied: Melanoma Patients Association)
Mr Seccombe is now living on a farm on the north coast of New South Wales and is the chairman of Melanoma Patients Australia, a charitable organization that advocates and supports people diagnosed with melanoma.
He is urging men in regional and rural areas to check their own skin.
That is because the statistics in those parts of Australia, often a long way from the beach, are shocking.
The death rates in farmers over 65 from skin cancer are more than double the rate of other Australians, while the total disease burden rate in remote Australia is 1.4 times as high as in major cities.
And it is expected to get worse.
About 8,000 Australians in regional areas were diagnosed with melanoma last year, and that is forecast to rise to over 11,000 annually by 2030.
That is because the population is ageing, and men are twice as likely as women to die of melanoma due to complacency about sun safety, according to the Cancer Council.
Carol Coleman had been dreaming for years when she stumbled on the rundown church campsite that is now the Joanna Life Skills Centre.
Her husband Rob was passing through the small farming area in South Australia’s Coonawarra region for work when he spotted it.
Once Carol saw it, their Adelaide life as they knew it changed forever.
“I was hysterical. All I could see was people in a safe place, warm in bed and with food in their mouths. And that was just so important to me,” Ms Coleman said.
“It wasn’t a choice. It was like this has been shown to us. We have to do it. We just have to do it.”
When they bought the site in 2017, its 12 buildings, with 42 bedrooms, had been vacant for two years and were in need of desperate repair.
It didn’t matter.
“When you’re working in mental health and you see the terrible situations that people are in, you look at a place like this and think ‘this place can make a big difference’,” Ms Coleman said.
There are 12 buildings on the property including a recreation room, commercial kitchen, and seven housing blocks.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
“So we packed up and we’re here.”
Over the years, they’ve chipped away at renovations, getting the place up to a good living standard for the people with disabilities and mental health needs that come to stay.
The NDIS registered service looks after 15 people at any one time. Most visit for two weeks to “catch their breath”, while others have stayed 12 months.
While there, visitors help clean and look after the animals. They have the opportunity to learn life skills like cooking and changing a tire.
“The whole idea is that they can look after themselves at the end of it all,” Mr Coleman said.
“While they’re vulnerable, they can be here. And when they’re a little more settled, they can go elsewhere and enjoy their life.”
Carol has created a pamper room for visitors to relax in.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
Vision for the site
Carol Coleman isn’t afraid of vulnerable people. Before studying as a nurse, her mother’s trade de ella, she worked as a cleaner at Glenside Psychiatric Hospital in Adelaide.
“Back in the 80s, people were looked after really well,” Ms Coleman said.
“It was once people started to be moved out into the community that people really started to struggle.”
While some residents who went into homes received lifetime support, Ms Coleman said others didn’t.
There’s lots to keep people busy at the center.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
“I remember one particular lady was placed in a house across the road from me. She only used the lounge room and the toilet because she was too scared to go into the other rooms,” Ms Coleman said.
“She was a paranoid schizophrenic.
“She ended up walking out in front of cars because she was so distressed.”
Ms Coleman doesn’t know where she ended up.
“It’s people like that you just want to wrap your arms around and go, ‘you can be safe here. You don’t have to be frightened anymore’,” Ms Coleman said.
“There are thousands of people in situations that it’s just cruel to them.
“It’s not something to look down on, it’s something to open people’s eyes and go, ‘How can we help?'”
The basketball court at Joanna Life Skills Centre.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
While the center may be Carol’s vision, Rob is just as involved.
His experience managing waste transfer systems for 45 years has been put to good use.
“I find managing people in local government is pretty much the same in managing people here,” Mr Coleman said.
“Everyone has problems. It’s about transferring those skills of dealing with people over to dealing with people on a day-by-day basis.”
Learning life skills
Molly is using the center to catch her breath after a tough divorce.
During her month there, she has enjoyed coloring in, playing puzzles, going to the recreation room, and feeding Rosie the lamb.
“I like it here. It’s much calmer,” Molly said.
“Being in Mount Gambier was so stressful, I was so stressed all the time. I just couldn’t cope. But being here, I love it.”
Getting to know lamb Rosie has been one of the highlights of Molly’s stay.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
Lately, she’s been busy preparing for her first prom later this month. The Colemans are taking her from her.
“They encourage me not to give up on things. If I say I don’t want to, they say, ‘come on. You can do it’,” Molly said.
“They’re really sweet and kind and caring for me.”
Required to help look after the grounds, Molly has taken to her new responsibilities well.
“It’s all part of normal life. If they’re going to leave here and go and find their own place to live, they’ve got to be able to look after what they’ve got,” Mr Coleman said.
Molly making herself useful.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
Five years in the making
The work on site continues. In five years, they’ve managed to renovate most of the accommodation — adapting 42 small bedrooms to fewer but larger rooms with more living spaces and wet areas.
“It’s taken us a long time. Two people can only work so fast. And then you have to have the funds to buy materials,” Ms Coleman said.
“It’s been a hard slog but it’s absolutely worth it.”
Rob has turned an old school building on the site into a functioning gym. He just needs to clad the outside.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
They were able to fund the project early on by accommodating local meatworkers.
“We were contacted by Regional Development when we arrived,” Ms Coleman said.
“That was like a gift from heaven because they basically gave us the opportunity to establish the place. We housed probably 140 workers over two years.”
Various animals call the center home.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
future hopes
The Colemans plan to keep adding facilities to the site — like a woodworking shed and community garden.
“The property’s huge. We have to use it,” Ms Coleman said.
Whilst clients can already access occupational therapist, dietitian and physiotherapist support at the center, the couple hopes for more services.
“In the future, it needs to be a one-stop-shop so that people have got all the support around them that they need,” Ms Coleman said.
“These people are humans, they’ve got a whole lot of needs. And it takes an army to fill those needs.”
Those staying are encouraged to enjoy the recreation room.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
Having extra staff around is also crucial for lightening the couple’s load.
They have had just one day off in five years but it’s a price they’re willing to pay.
“This is our retirement,” Ms. Coleman said.
Mr Coleman said people tended to stay in contact after they left the centre.
“Carol often gets a couple of phone calls a day from past ones that have been here. And they just check in, say hello,” he said.
“Sometimes they might not be feeling that great. And a chat for five minutes is enough to keep them on track.”
Rob and Carol Coleman are committed to being here for the long haul.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)
After the implications of renovations and COVID-19, the Colemans say they’re ready to take on more visitors.
“We’ve been under the radar for some time,” Ms Coleman said.
“For a place this big with so many opportunities, people need to know that we’re here.”
Choking back tears, Leisa Rutledge struggles as she details the past month with her husband Dan in intensive care in Brisbane.
Key points:
Yeppoon resident Dan Rutledge is in hospital 650km from home
His wife Leisa and their three children are grappling with where to live
The National Rural Health Alliance says some people cannot afford to care for their loved ones far from home
Ms Rutledge, who usually lives in Yeppoon in central Queensland, pushed for her husband to see a doctor after what seemed like a harmless sinus issue made his snoring worse.
But a scan and a follow-up phone call from a Brisbane neurosurgeon changed everything.
“[The doctor] he said it was quite big… the [brain] tumor was connected to a major blood vessel,” Ms Rutledge said.
“He said I think it’s really important that you have the surgery because if you don’t, you probably won’t be around for Christmas.”
Mr Rutledge suffered a stroke in his brain stem after the surgery in early July and has been in a coma since.
Ms Rutledge said the experience of nearly losing her high school sweetheart had been heartbreaking.
“That was a really hard day,” she said.
Accommodation struggle
Mr and Mrs Rutledge have been together since high school.(Supplied: Leisa Rutledge)
Ms Rutledge said she had not previously thought about what living in Yeppoon would mean for her family if someone needed care that was not available locally.
“I don’t know how people can afford to be in our situation,” she said.
Ms Rutledge said a doctor told her to think long term about her family’s future, as her husband could be in a coma for months and any rehabilitation would be intense, take considerable time, and would need to happen in Brisbane.
It’s put the mother-of-three in a difficult position.
“That kind of shocked me because I don’t want to give up our home in Yeppoon, because if Dan does get to a point where he gets home, I want him to remember what we had,” she said.
Queensland Health offers a patient subsidy scheme to help people from rural and regional areas to access healthcare more than 50 kilometers away.
While Ms Rutledge has access to the subsidy scheme, she said the money it provided for rent did not cover the cost of renting for the family in Brisbane near the hospital.
They are currently living with her sister, about a 50-minute drive from the hospital, while an online fundraiser has been set up to help pay the family’s costs.
The Rutledges have three teenage children who are completing school work online.(Supplied: Leisa Rutledge)
Queensland Health said in a statement that distance, geographical implications, and isolation were important considerations when managing healthcare services in hospitals.
“We acknowledge additional costs Queenslanders living in rural and remote locations incur when accessing specialty health services,” it said.
The department added that $97.20 million was allocated to the subsidy scheme in the 2021-22 financial year.
Ms Rutledge said she was looking for an apartment, but with the tight rental market, her situation felt “really dire”.
While Mr Rutledge’s hospital does have social workers to help place families in homes, she said the only option available was a studio apartment and her family needed more space long term.
She said she was on a waiting list for a bigger, family-sized hospital unit but had been told the hospital did not see her getting off the waitlist “anytime soon.”
“It’s really difficult for a lot of rural families to be able to come down and try to find long-term accommodation,” Ms Rutledge said.
Not the only ones
Gabrielle O’Kane says the distance can be traumatic for some people.(Supplied: National Rural Health Alliance)
National Rural Health Alliance chief executive Gabrielle O’Kane said some people missed out on caring for their loved ones in capital cities because of the high expenses associated with travel, accommodation, and missing out on paid work.
“I’ve actually had the experience myself where I had six to seven months’ worth of treatment in Sydney when I lived in Wagga Wagga with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” Dr O’Kane said.
“I know how difficult it is being separated from family, and while there’s some assistance in terms of accommodation and travel assistance … when you’re away from your family for a long period of time there is emotional support and those sorts of things you don ‘t have.”
Dr O’Kane said travel schemes needed to incorporate the “vast majority of expenses” that people incurred living away from home to make it easier on patients.
Ms Rutledge says her husband is a much-loved “typical Aussie dad.”(Supplied: Leisa Rutledge)
The Rutledges’ three teenage children are now doing online-only lessons from their central Queensland high school, which they complete at the school onsite at their dad’s hospital.
When asked whether she would consider going back to Yeppoon and traveling back and forth to Brisbane, Ms Rutledge was resolute.
Port Lincoln mother of four Krystal Miller lives with debilitating Crohn’s disease and after-school-hours care has become essential for her family.
Key points:
More than 100 families will be left without after-school care in Port Lincoln
Councils on Yorke Peninsula have intervened to help with the lack of care services
Port Lincoln’s council said they could not help the service find a new space
However, the past six months have been a roller-coaster ride as BYK Kids after-school-hours care faced an uncertain future following the non-renewal of its lease.
Last week it closed its doors to more than 100 families after being unable to find new rental premises.
BYK Kids was the only after-school-hours care service in Port Lincoln.(ABC Eyre Peninsula: Bernadette Clarke)
Ms Miller said the closure would have an impact on her life, and many other parents.
“I am immune-compromised and when I’m sick, it’s been so important to be able to have somewhere that I can trust with my kids,” Ms Miller said.
“So now that’s gone, I have no options anymore — it’s quite stressful.
BYK Kids was the only service offering after-school care and vacation care in the region.
But Ms Miller still counts herself lucky because her parents live in Port Lincoln, and while they both work, they do help.
“There are a lot of professional women and men here in Port Lincoln, who are not able to actually go back to work because there’s nowhere to put their kids,” Ms Miller said.
Program manager Cassandra Bilney held back tears on the final day of care after six years of helping Port Lincoln families.
“I don’t know what the solution is,” Ms Bilney said.
“I don’t know if the council could look at having something council owned but the lack of services is definitely a problem.”
council response
Parents like Ms Miller want the Port Lincoln City Council to intervene to assist families in dire need of care for their children.
“I can’t comprehend how they could not step in to assist the only out-of-school support for care,” Ms Miller said.
Both the Copper Coast and the Barunga West regional councils have supported family childcare on the Yorke Peninsula.
Copper Coast Council’s CEO Russel Peate said the lack of childcare in his region had a flow-on economic effect on the community.
“If there’s a lack of childcare that’s an impact on businesses, organizations in being able to attract employees, and that affects the workforce, that affects your community that affects your business.”
The council worked with Kadina Childcare Incorporated to help find an affordable rental site.
“We’ve partnered with them and determined a site that’s crown land under our care and control, that’s been endorsed by council and we’re working towards a long-term lease,” Mr Peate said.
The closure of BYK Kids will leave more than 100 families without a care provider.(ABC Eyre Peninsula: Bernadette Clarke)
“We have been keen to partner with the childcare center in finding a location that’s suitable to them and to progress towards steps of having a much greater and larger centre.”
A survey in Moonta Bay also found 99.5 per cent of 214 people named childcare an issue in that area.
The council is in the process of looking to establish a childcare center there also.
Meanwhile, Barunga West Council provided grants of up to $2,000 for people encountering challenges trying to set up a family daycare.
“Council is willing to support those in our community with the ultimate goal of seeing them set up family daycare in their own home as early as next year,” a council statement read.
BYK Kids staff Jo Giblin (left) and Cassandra Bilney (right).(ABC Eyre Peninsula: Bernadette Clarke)
“The work involves securing up to $1.9 million of government funding to build a facility, and ensuring there is ongoing community and government support for its long-term viability.”
A Port Lincoln City Council spokesperson said they were aware of BYK Kids’ plight but did not have any facilities to assist.
“Council doesn’t have any fit-for-purpose facilities that would meet their needs at this time, however we understood that they had some strong options within the local community with more appropriate facilities.”
The spokesperson said childcare would likely be a focus in the Council’s Economic Development and Investment Attraction strategy, which was currently under development.
“There is some work being undertaken across the region to look at childcare options in smaller communities, and this will potentially ease demand on services in Port Lincoln also.”
Up until very recently, BYK Kids was the region’s only after-school-hours-care service, but St Joseph’s School recently announced it would open its own partnering with YMCA in coming months.
A white picket fence protects the carefully manicured green grass at Salter Oval, but it is set to take a beating when the biggest sporting show in town arrives this Sunday.
Key points:
A record crowd is expected for Bundaberg’s first NRL clash with tickets already sold out
A Bundaberg shop says team merchandise is in hot demand
Bulldogs are to hold an open training session for fans on Saturday morning
Bundaberg is abuzz in the countdown to the NRL’s round 21 match between the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and finals contenders the North Queensland Cowboys, the first time the city will host a competition points game.
Temporary grandstands have been erected for the anticipated sellout crowd, and room has been made for the arrival of the huge media throng to broadcast the match to league fans across the nation.
“I think it will be a record crowd,” Bundaberg Rugby League chairman Mike Ireland said.
“The Cowboys are second on the competition ladder and the Bulldogs are starting to put together a few wins as well.”
Temporary grandstands have been constructed to accommodate the anticipated record crowd.(ABC Wide Bay: Scott Lamond)
There is a lot at stake in the march to the finals and both teams have unveiled what they hope will be a winning combination.
Bulldogs: 1. Jake Averillo, 2. Jacob Kiraz, 3. Aaron Schoupp, 4. Braidon Burns, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Matt Burton, 7. Kyle Flanagan, 8. Max King, 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10 Paul Vaughan, 11. Josh Jackson, 12. Jackson Topine, 13. Tevita Pangai Junior, 14. Zach Dockar-Clay, 15. Joe Stimson, 16. Harrison Edwards, 17. Chris Patolo.
The Cowboys’ revival this year has surprised NRL fans after the club finished second last in 2021.
Head coach Todd Payten found himself on the hot seat during last season, but his side’s resurgence has silenced the critics and he now sits firmly as the front-running candidate for coach of the year.
It will be the first time since their grand final appearance in 2017 that the team has played finals football.
Meanwhile the 12th-placed Bulldogs look to continue their stroke of form with a third consecutive win this weekend.
The Dogs are starting to hit their strides under interim coach Mick Potter who will look to unleash his lethal combination in Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr at Salter Oval.
Supporter gear ‘flying off the shelves’
Daniel Unwin runs a sports apparel shop in the Bundaberg CBD where he said supporter merchandise for both teams was “flying out the door”.
“It’s massive. Queenslanders love their football, especially in Bundaberg,” he said.
“It’s a legitimate NRL game, the Cowboys are here so that’s a big drawcard, and we see a lot of excitement.
“This is the real deal. You’ll have two full-strength NRL sides, both in red hot form, so it’s going to be great for our region.”
The sellout crowd is anticipated to break attendance records at the ground as TV and streaming reaches fans around the nation.(ABC Wide Bay: Scott Lamond)
The last time the Cowboys played in Bundaberg was against the Brisbane Broncos in a trial game in 2016 in front of more than 8,000 fans.
Sunday’s match officially sold out soon after a final release of tickets last week, while at Salter Oval the goal posts had to be shifted five meters to meet NRL specifications.
“The posts will stay there permanently, and we haven’t played local league here for a couple of weeks so it’s nice and green,” Mr Ireland said.
Big Willie says ‘about time’
This NRL game will be the first of three to be played in Bundaberg under a deal between the Bulldogs, the Bundaberg Regional Council, and the Queensland government.
Future Bulldogs games will be scheduled at Salter Oval in 2023 and 2024.
Bulldogs legend Willie Mason said he was surprised its taken so long for an official NRL game to be played in Bundaberg.(ABC Wide Bay: Scott Lamond)
Former Bulldog, Origin great, and dual international Willie Mason said he could not believe it had taken this long for the NRL to take a competition match to Bundaberg.
“I’m glad the NRL are doing this. You can just tell from the energy about rugby league, it’s about time,” he said.
The Bulldogs will hold an open training session Saturday from 11am at Salter Oval.
Gates will open at 10:30am Sunday, with a Bundaberg Rugby League A Grade semi-final between ATW and Brothers starting at 11am.
Ticket holders are reminded not to bring their own chairs to the ground.
Kick off for the Bulldogs and Cowboys clash is 2pm.
