Upper Hunter Shire Council has resolved to write to the NSW Government seeking urgent action to restore maternity services at Scott Memorial Hospital in Scone, following concerns raised in a Mayoral Minute at Monday’s meeting.
The motion calls on Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park to retain and restore essential obstetric services, including antenatal, birthing and postnatal care, and to improve access to timely specialist and surgical services for Upper Hunter residents, with a focus on reducing short-notice postponements and cancellations.
A State Parliament petition over the matter currently had over 3,000 signatures. You can sign it here.
A separate motion specifically addressing Scott Memorial Hospital’s maternity services was withdrawn following adoption of the broader Mayoral Minute.
In other business, Council adopted its revised Long Term Financial Plan for 2026/27 to 2035/36 following public exhibition, and endorsed a regional motion, developed through the Hunter Joint Organisation, calling for an equal three-way funding model between federal, state and local government for water and sewer infrastructure upgrades.
Council also resolved to investigate safety upgrades for school crossings on Gundy Road in Scone, after concerns raised by Scone High School identified issues including limited visibility, missing access ramps and faded pavement markings.
Council also resolved to retain the current annual bulky waste collection arrangement rather than introduce a year-round on-call system.
