The government’s Committee on Community Services this week announced an inquiry into her Health Services Amendment (Splitting of the Murrumbidgee Local Health District) Bill 2025.
It was initially tabled by Mrs Dalton in February this year.
The Bill proposes to split the MLHD into the Murrumbidgee LHD and the Western Riverina LHD, to provide locally based and planned healthcare.
Deniliquin is proposed to be included in the Western Riverina health district, which will cover Leeton to Balranald, also including Jerilderie, Berrigan, Finley, Leeton, Griffith, Hay, Hillston, Lake Cargelligo, Balranald, Barham, Moulamein and Tocumwal.
Submissions to the inquiry close on Friday, December 19.
Mrs Dalton is asking everyone to write to NSW Parliament supporting her proposal.
“As part of that inquiry, the committee is asking people who are affected, which is all of us, to write to them telling them how a new local health district would make all our lives better.
“We have an opportunity to explain how bad the current system is, and how the people of Murray deserve our own health district.
“I would encourage everybody to put in a submission. You don’t have to be a doctor or an expert.
“I believe the committee needs to hear from regular people in order to understand how important this is to all of us.
“We must make the most of this opportunity. Make no mistake, these submissions will be read, and they will be carefully considered.
“Every submission will help us get that much closer to having our own local health district.”
The inquiry process begins as debate about the split heats up on social media, with MLHD and Mrs Dalton each sharing arguments on social platforms.
Each aims to counter the arguments from the other.
MLHD launched its campaign series by answering the question ‘Does the Murrumbidgee Local Health District support the bill?’.
“The Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) opposes the Bill,” it’s statement said.
“The split must be based on evidence - service delivery, workforce data, patient outcomes, and financial modelling.
“Evidence shows splitting the district would cost more, deliver less, and put services at risk.
“The Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding reviewed the New South Wales public healthcare system in 2023-2025 and did not recommend splitting existing local health districts.
“Splitting the district would not solve the workforce problems. Instead, it would fragment staffing, reduce flexibility, and make it harder to recruit and retain health professionals.
“All MLHD hospitals are linked as part of clinical networks. Splitting these would disrupt referral pathways, lead to duplication of corporate services, increase costs, destabilise the workforce, delay access to care, and compromise health outcomes – particularly for those already facing health inequities.”
Mrs Dalton maintains splitting the health service will “ensure we finally have the locally focused health care that we deserve”.
“For too long, people in the Western Riverina region have been treated as second class citizens.
“MLHD has consistently downgraded the status of our hospitals through poor recruitment practices and a lack of services. This deliberate decline in services must stop, right now.
“We need a closer focus on the health needs of the people of the Western Riverina, and by splitting up the MLLD we can achieve this.”
Inquiry submissions will be accepted until December 19 and can be lodged using the NSW Government ‘make a submission’ link.
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