Yesterday it alerted residents of the city and its catchment to “an opportunity that should not be missed” for acquiring long-sought-after radiotherapy and associated infrastructure.

This week the Federal Government called for applications for funding from the $560 million it has set aside for a network of about 10 best-practice regional cancer centres and associated accommodation facilities.

The cash will be used to build new centres and enhance others, in an effort to close the gap between cancer survival rates in the metropolis and the country.

With some cancers, patients from rural areas are up to three times more likely to die within five years of diagnosis than their urban counterparts.

The Nationals’ duty MLC for Dubbo Duncan Gay and rural health spokesperson MLC Jenny Gardiner are calling on the Greater Western Area Health Service and the local community to make a bid for a share of the cash for a centre in Dubbo.

Ms Gardiner points to the May 2009 release of a NSW Cancer Council report, Improving Radiotherapy, Where to from here?

A roadmap for the NSW Government.

“It identified Dubbo Base Hospital as one of the hospitals that should be considered for new or expanded radiotherapy services,”she said.

Dubbo, along with Tamworth, were the inland service centres being “left behind”in the provision of cancer treatment facilities, she said.

Ms Gardiner has recently inspected the radiotherapy “bunker” at the under-construction new Orange Base Hospital and admits it “could be a consideration” for the Health and Hospitals Fund Advisory Board should it receive an application for cash for Dubbo.

“It’s good that there is a cancer centre at Orange,” she said.

But Orange was a “long” way from Dubbo and outer western NSW communities such as Bourke, Cobar and Walgett.

“If people have to go far away from home, their workplace and family, some simply don’t go and get treatment,” Ms Gardiner said.

“That’s my concern about Orange.”

Mr Gay said Dubbo’s public hospital was a major referral centre, serving 160,000 people with about 18,000 admissions a year.

A slice of Federal Government funding for a Dubbo cancer centre would “grow the pie in the development of services in our area”, he said.

“This is a better option than negativity and staring enviously at what our neighbours have,” Mr Gay said.

Applications close on January 8.