Mr Stoner today presented the Legislative Assembly with a petition signed by more than 1800 local residents calling on the Minister to ensure the Bellinger River Hospital’s Maternity Unit becomes fully operational.

“The Mid North Coast community is rapidly growing, and yet the Health Minister has deliberately chosen to place more stress on our resources and hardworking staff instead of implementing the midwifery team model,” Mr Stoner said.

“If the Health Minister had bothered to listen to the community, he would understand the widespread anger felt by locals about potential reductions to the already scarce maternity services in the region.

“Local women must feel that their health has been compromised by the delay in the implementation of the NCAHS midwifery model."

Mr Stoner said the failure to put the midwifery team model into practice at Bellinger River Hospital has followed the cutting of positions in the North Coast Area Health Service.

"To fail to implement the midwifery team model in Bellinger River Hospital is one thing, but to be slashing front line services at the same time is just stupidity,” Mr Stoner said.