Yesterday’s announcement was pre-empted by a CSU statement on Tuesday from Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter suggesting that “with a fully functioning, upgraded hospital in Bathurst

and a new base hospital in Orange soon to open, the central west

is becoming the health hub of NSW”.

An array of politicians, academics, medicos and health bureaucrats turned out at noon yesterday to hear more about the university’s bid to address the rural doctor crisis.

Along with the Orange-based medical school, CSU wants to establish an integrated primary healthcare clinic at its Bathurst campus.

Cr Smith greeted the CSU plan with a warning for Dubbo and the Orana region which regards Dubbo as its health hub.

“Surely this is an indication of what the future could lead us to if we don’t continue to fight for a change to the central west local health network,” the mayor said.

“The central west local health network focuses on Orange. That’s where the money is being injected.”

Under national health reform, the state’s eight area health services will be replaced by a proposed 17 local health networks, seven of them in rural and regional areas.

A discussion paper prepared by the state government reveals that the central west local health network would largely mirror the Greater Western Area Health Service area and take in 40 communities including Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo.

Its release has created an outcry in the Orana region that is calling for its own local health network and the boosting of health services in Dubbo.

Cr Smith is urging residents to lodge submissions by September 1 on the discussion paper that can be found here.

Professor Goulter yesterday said CSU would be seeking the support of the state government “to open additional clinical places for CSU medical students in NSW hospitals”.

Dubbo’s Independent MP Dawn Fardell was “unavailable” for comment yesterday.