6 WEDNESDAY, July 28, 2010

The Standard

www.standard.net.au

LOCAL NEWS

Project
crosses
Centre will happen with or without public funding border

Well do it ourselves

MOUNT GAMBIER
By ALEXANDRA WEAVER

A SOUTH-WEST group
leading the push for an
integrated regional cancer
care centre is confident the
community would dig deep
if state and federal governments reject its plea.
If we have to raise
$30 million it wont be a
problem, Peters Project
founder Vicki Jellie told
The Standard yesterday
as impromptu donations
reached $70,000.
Audience members at
Monday nights election
forum in Warrnambool
helped boost the Peters
Project tally.
They donated $425.75
towards the push for a new
integrated cancer care
centre to be based in the
city.
By early next year the
group will know the results
of a state governmentfunded feasibility study
into the proposed centre.
If the government turns
us down well beat the
drum harder, Mrs Jellie
said.
Its amazing how the
community has supported
this.
The push is not going
to stop. Its bigger than the
rescue chopper issue.
When we first started
we didnt set out to raise
funds.
We are not advocating
fund-raising, its just
happening.

Now there are

people wanting to directdebit from their wages and
families providing money
donated in lieu of flowers
for funerals.
Recently we had $1900
from one funeral and $1200
from another.
However, until the
feasibility study is done we
havent got a clear target.
The feasibility study,
lead by Victorian Cancer
Agency chairman
Professor Bob Thomas, is
expected to be completed
early next year and will
provide an indication on
whether the proposal is
likely to receive government support.
Peters Project was
started by Mrs Jellie after
her husband Peter died
after a 20-week battle
with cancer in 2008. The
campaign aims to establish
a $30 million centralised
cancer treatment centre
in the south-west along
with other supporting
infrastructure including
radiotherapy services.
Meanwhile, the
Australian Diagnostics
Imaging Association
has backed a push by
the Australian Medical
Association for political
parties to commit to index
patient rebates and ensure
GPs can directly refer
patients to MRI services.
pcollins@standard.fairfax.com.au

Vicki Jellie, with a photo of her late husband Peter, is confident Peters Project will fulfill his
dream and establish a cancer care centre in the South-West whether the government backs the
cause or not.
100416LP55 PICTURE: LEANNE PICKETT

MEDICAL
professionals
and local government in the
wider Mount Gambier region
have joined the campaign
for a south-west cancer care
centre.
Mount Gambier City chief
executive Greg Muller gave
full support to the Peters
Project mission to secure
an integrated cancer care
centre in Warrnambool after
meeting with campaigners
last week.
He said Limestone Coast
patients had to travel fiveand-a-half hours to Adelaide
or four hours to Ballarat to
undergo cancer treatment.
Mr Muller said a collaborative effort between the regions
would place further pressure
on the federal government to
respond to the call of Peters
Project campaigners.
We were really impressed
by how people in the Western
District have really rallied
behind the Peters Project
and their determination to
achieve proper cancer care
for the region, he said.
It was a brilliant meeting.
Theyre battling bureaucracy
and the metropolitan view of
governments at both a state
and federal level.
Regional
Development
Australia executive officer
Grant King, Mount Gambier
Hospital finance director
Sandra Parsons and representatives from Wattle Range
Council and the District
Council of Grant also attended
the meeting.
aweaver@standard.fairfax.com.au

WS682643-MC-17/7

WARRNAMBOOL
By PETER COLLINS