Porirua's regional councillor Robert Shaw has applauded the decision to keep services and beds going at Kenepuru Hospital and thanked Porirua City people for their outstanding support.

He says over 15,000 people from Tawa to Waikanae signed the petition and that is an incredible number in 5 weeks. "We stood together and the result has been spectacular. "

"The fact that the city councils from Wellington to Kapiti were all agreed on the need for Kenepuru brought credibility to our advocacy."

Councillor Shaw congratulated the Capital & Coast District Health Board on its willingness to pull back from a plan to reduce hospital beds from 100 to six over the next five years.

"It is vital now that we focus on the long-term future of Kenepuru - the status quo is secure but the future role of Kenepuru needs to considered. It must be complementary to Newtown and provide some important services to the whole region. "

"Another major issue now is how the $290 million capital fund will be spent. The plan was to spend 90% of it at Newtown, but with a commitment to beds at Kenepuru it is clear a significant proportion of the $290 million should be spent in Porirua. "

This decision takes us some way towards the 2 hub (or 2 hospitals) model that the board examined but did not put before the people, Councillor Shaw added.

More about Robert:
http://robertshaw.freeyellow.com/index.html

From: Robert Shaw
43 Eskdale Road
Papakowhai
Porirua City
NEW ZEALAND

Direct telephone / fax: +64 4 233 0252
Email: robert.shaw@xtra.co.nz

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