Upper Hunter Shire Councillor Troy Stolz will set out on Thursday on a 300-kilometre journey to NSW Parliament to raise awareness of what he describes as a failing rural health system, with a focus on maternity services at Scone Hospital.
The Save Scone Hospital Maternity Services ride, walk and crawl will depart the Upper Hunter Shire Council chambers at 135 Liverpool Street, Scone, at 11am on Thursday 5 November. It will cover more than 300 kilometres of back roads over six days, finishing at the steps of NSW Parliament on 10 or 11 November, where a petition will be handed to any NSW politician interested in helping raise awareness.
Cr Stolz will be joined at the start by Member for the Upper Hunter Dave Layzell and Snowy Monaro Councillor Andrew Thaler. On day one the group will travel from Scone towards Moobi, then Dartbrook, finishing in Muswellbrook. He then has stops in Singleton, East Maitland, Wyong, Brooklyn, and North Sydney. Cr Stolz said the route had been approved by Transport for NSW, and that anyone who wanted to join was welcome.
Cr Stolz said he was fighting stage 4 esophageal and bone cancer and spent a lot of time in the hospital system.
“Our doctors and nurses do a phenomenal job and are facing significant challenges from a failing health system, especially in the bush,” he said.
“I am not really up for this, but it must be done. I will give it a red hot crack.”
He said the trip was fully funded by himself and Cr Thaler.
“We were hoping to raise money for the Scone Hospital, but donations, fundraising and gifts are prohibited under the Councillor Code of Conduct,” he said.
He said public liability insurance, t-shirts, accommodation and sundries would cost them five to six thousand dollars out of their own pockets.
“That is how important this issue is to me.”
