We asked all the candidates across all the electorates in the Illawarra the same question about health services.
How will you address healthcare pressures for Illawarra residents?

Cath Blakey (The Greens): As a Greens MP for Wollongong I will push the NSW parliament to introduce enforceable nurse to patient ratios so that shift by shift there are sufficient nurses and midwives available to care for patients. After 12 days in the Wollongong Hospital maternity unit in 2018 I know how vital nurse to patient ratios are to see that patients have adequate care. Now there are reports of only 1 midwife for 15 patients, and that's not even including the babies! Patient care is suffering and nurses are burning out. I have pledged my support to the Nurses and Midwives Association Award Claim that includes 1 nurse for 3 patients in ED and 1 to 4 on a ward and 1 to 3 in maternity. In the Regional, Rural and Remote Health Inquiryin May 2022, Liberal and Labor MPs voted together against the inclusion of a recommendation calling for the implementation of nurse to patient ratios. On 25th March we need to see parliamentary seats change so that legislated nurse to patient ratios can be passed - the Greens will be pushing whomever forms government to legislate ratios. I'm also pushing for the next NSW government to lift the public sector wage cap that was introduced by the Liberals in 2011. NSW has the most poorly-paid paramedics in Australia, and it's not uncommon for highly skilled health workers to work part-time in retail because they get paid more there. We are pushing for a 15% payrise for nurses, midwives and paramedics. A payrise will help boost staff retention and entice qualified staff back to the sector. Paid placements for nursing, midwifery and paramedical students is also part of our Greens plan to attract new public health workers, by reducing a significant cost of living pressure.

As your Greens MP I'll be pushing for the establishment of public community health centres where medical staff are directly employed by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Health District to provide fee-free access to GPs, allied health professionals, dentists or mental health professionals.

By improving hospital care, GP access and preventative health initiatives the Greens will help end bed block so paramedics can be where they are needed instead of waiting in queues. The Greens health care plan includes increasing the number of paramedics employed in regional NSW, expanding the Intensive Care and Extended Care Paramedics programs and introducing a 24/7 patient transport service which would decrease delays to patient care and free up ambulances for emergencies. Ambulance and patient transport services should be provided at no out-of-pocket cost to patients, but under the Liberals the ambulance fee has grown to a minimum cost of $327 up to a maximum of $6,668.
Read The Greens plan to rescue our public health system: https://greens.org.au/nsw/healthcare2023

Kit Docker (The Greens): Speaking to many healthcare professionals across the Illawarra, it's clear that many are having to face dangerous and unsustainable working conditions. What is most disappointing is that these pressures are completely avoidable.

Supporting the essential workers in our public hospitals will be an absolute priority for me if elected. I will work with my fellow Greens crossbenchers to push whichever party forms government to back the NSW Nurse and Midwives Association 2022 award claim in full.

In addition to backing mandated nurse to patient ratios, we will be looking to scrap the public sector wage cap and provide nurses, midwives and paramedics with an immediate 15% pay rise. This pay rise will be vital in retaining and attracting the workforce needed to support our healthcare system.

Too many people across the Illawarra cannot afford to pay for a visit to a GP and the recent reduction of bulk billing practices is already having serious impacts on many families. We know that prevention is more effective and less costly than intervention, which is why I will fight to establish public primary care clinics in our region. This will provide the community with access to GP's and other allied health professionals at no costs.

Finally, we need to think big and bold when it comes to mental health. Mental health services have costs that are too high and waiting lists that are too long. I will fight to establish free, publicly-owned and community-managed mental health services across the Illawarra.

Jamie Dixon (The Greens): The Greens see the solution to our local healthcare woes in rebuilding the fractured work environment of our front line workers. We need to respect, recruit, resource and retain the highly skilled people currently in, or close to the sector. Becoming a nurse, midwife or paramedic takes years of study, and the years of experience on wards is impossible to replace.

The Greens will abolish the public sector wage cap, and give all nurses, midwives and paramedics an immediate 15 per cent wage increase, and appropriate indexing into the future. We will see the Health Services Amendment introduced to parliament last November seen through, to mandate nurse to patient ratios in line with the levels advised by the NSWNMA.

Our state needs to show the same levels of respect and remuneration as other states, not only because it reflects the hard work and dedication shown by our health sector, but to prevent the growing drain of experienced staff to other states and other sectors. We also need to invest significantly in preventative healthcare that is accessible to everyone. This includes establishing community health centres so that people can see a GP or other health professional for free, when they need advice and support, to prevent the current level of presentations to Emergency Departments. Amongst our other allied health initiatives is the legalisation of medicinal cannabis, to reduce the current over-medication of many ailments, and to transition patients away from opioids.

Story in the Illawarra Mercury, 22 March 2023.

Greens candidate for Heathcote Cooper Riach joins Jo Ryan on Enterprise as part of 2SSR's NSW State Election Interview Series.

Interview with Jo Ryan on Enterprise at 2SSR, 20 March 2023.

Dr Tonia Gray, Greens candidate for Kiama in the 2023 NSW State Election.

With Lindsay McDougall on ABC Illawarra Drive, 20 March 2023.

Greens candidate for Wollongong Cath Blakey said the unpaid placements created a barrier to attracting people to these jobs.

"The Greens want to make sure that students on these placements are paid the same wage as a junior assistant in Nursing," Ms Blakey said.

"With the heightened cost of living, it's crazy to expect people to fund their own placement."

Story by Glen Humphries at the Illawarra Mercury, 15 March 2023.

15 March 2023

Cath Blakey, Greens Councillor and state candidate for Wollongong joined the Mothers and Midwives of the Illawarra community picnic to launch the Greens commitment to announce paid placements for nurses, midwives and paramedics in training.

Greens councillor and candidate for Wollongong Cath Blakey has reiterated that Nurse to Patient ratios is a key demand of her party in any minority government after March 25. This comes as the Nurses and Midwives Association lodge evidence in the supreme court showing that the NSW government’s current staffing model is resulting in understaffing and poor patient care.

From a housing crisis in the Northern suburbs to investing in school infrastructure in the South the party today making its priorities for the region, known. Story by Olivia Blunden at WIN News, 14 March 2023.

On Monday, the NSW Greens said they would push for abortion to be provided at every public hospital in NSW, and introduce a statewide directory service of contraception and abortion providers if they party hold the balance of power after the March 25 election.

Launching the policy, Federal Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi said it was "still unacceptably difficult and expensive for people to access abortions" "Access to abortion is a geographic, class and racial lottery," she said. "A vast majority of people in NSW support abortion being provided in all public hospitals, just like they supported the decriminalisation of abortion. "Governments must listen to the community and treat abortion services like other healthcare - provided through our public hospitals, fee-free and covered by Medicare."

Story by Kate McIlwain at the Illawarra Mercury, 14 March 2023.

"The Greens are fully backing the union's award claim, as well as campaigning for a 15 per cent pay rise for nurses to make the job more attractive for current and future staff."

"Voters should consider where they direct their preferences in the upper and lower house to give the Greens more power to negotiate."

Cr Cath Blakey, Greens candidate for Wollongong in the 2023 NSW state election.

Story by Kate Ilwain in the Illawarra Mercury, 9 March 2023.

Report by Olivia Blunden at WIN News, 10 March 2023.

What specific funding (in addition to the promised federal government funding) would you secure to fix the roads?

Amanda Findley (Greens): Ms Findley took aim at the Labor proposal, claiming the figure would "probably only equate to about $4 million each year for places like the Shoalhaven".
She did not offer a specific figure to counter, instead, Ms Findley picked out trouble spots around the region. "Terara Rd needs to be fixed, Culburra Rd needs to be fixed - not only that, we need to invest in the East Nowra sub-arterial... we need investment in the Kalandar St intersection... and the Hillcrest Ave to Yalwal sub-arterial. "We will be in gridlock for the next 15 years if those roads are not addressed."

What's your position on making sure the police station is manned?

Amanda Findley (Greens):
Ms Findley steered her answer toward the Greens' policies of decriminalising cannabis, and establishing mental health teams to address mental health call-outs. She said measures like these could free up police to be at stations like Culburra. "We can re-address the issues where police have to turn up and deal with issues that aren't really police issues... then what we do is get more police back in the stations to look after you."

How will you limit short term rentals or provide more long term accommodation?

Amanda Findley (Greens): Ms Findley maintained the power to solve short term rentals lie with city councils. She proposed a regulation on housing developments such as the West Culburra subdivision, to mandate homes be reserved for permanent residents; she also said planning powers need to go back to city councils. "What we need to do is put a regulation in there [the West Culburra development], that not one of those houses can be short term rental accommodation," she said.

How important do you believe it is to balance the crucial need for housing with environmental and cultural heritage concerns? What would you propose doing?

Amanda Findley (Greens): Ms Findley continued her point of putting planning powers back in the hands of city councils. "Having planning come back to councils is a policy of the Greens at a state level," she said.

Story by Jorja McDonnell in the South Coast Register, 9 March 2023.