THE campaign for upgrades to Tamworth Hospital’s mental health unit is gaining momentum with thousands of residents putting pent to paper to support the cause.
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The Tamworth Mental Health Carers Support Group’s petition has reached 6000 signatures, 4000 short of the amount needed to be tabled in parliament.
Group members and volunteers have been pounding the pavement to garner signatures following their calls for the state government to help build a better Banksia unit earlier in the year.
“They’re all for it, some of them are saying they’d sign it 100 times over if they could,” Group chair Di Wyatt said.
Some of them are saying they’d sign it 100 times over if they could.
- Di Wyatt
“We have had ladies walking up and down Peel St and my husband and have been in Shopping World and Centrepoint – we got permission to go in there and it’s doing really well.
“We haven’t had too many people say no.”
Mrs Wyatt said the signatures on the petition were also met with stories of heartbreak and experiences with mental illness.
“Some of them were talking to us about themselves and some were talking about their loved ones,” she said.
“They’re all so happy for a new Banksia. We just need 4000 more signatures and if we can get more it would be even better.”
It’s expected the group will keep the petition open until the Country Music Festival with the Banksia unit catering to mental health needs of those from the Tamworth area and beyond.
Mrs Wyatt urged locals if they see the volunteers and their petitions, to not hesitate to sign.
“If we can get as many as we can before Christmas, it would be wonderful,” she said.
The petition follows calls by Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson for funding to upgrade the facility.
Mr Anderson told The Leader in September that the facility was “tired” and “outdated”.
He said concerned constituents had told him the complex was a “cold and lonely place” that it was not a “good environment for healing".
Mr Anderson said he had held various meetings with the local mental health support group and would be “ramping” up his efforts to see the unit upgraded with approaches to the relevant minister.
The state government has since confirmed that Banksia is on the list for improvements and is in the process of being “assessed”, but that it would be premature to comment on any outcomes.
