Peter McKinnon, who is acting on behalf of the Federal Government Depart-ment of Health and Ageing, had talks with members of the Oberon Aged Care Committee and Oberon Council. He also inspected facilities at Oberon Hospital and Hathaway Cottage.

Mr. McKinnon said that his purpose in Oberon is to gather data about the town, in addition to inspecting facilities, in order to prepare a report about the requirements of Oberon aged care.

“I like to get a sense of the places, and of their age and layout,” he said.

During their talks with Mr. McKinnon, members of the Aged Care Committee detailed the needs for more aged care in Oberon and indicated the type of facility needed.

“We want it all - low care, high care, dementia care,” Aged Care Committee member, Coral Bailey said. “We want people to be able to stay here.”

Aged Care Committee Chairman, Ian Whalan, said Oberon's population is increasingly made up of retirees who move to the district.

He said that meant the average age of the town population was rising and more aged care was needed.

“What we often have is older people coming in and younger people going out,” he said. “That is a crucial aspect that is never noted.”

Committee members also told Mr. McKinnon t there are a number of issues that prevent Oberon from being seriously considered for an aged care facility, such as the belief that Oberon is regarded as a suburb of Bathurst or Lithgow.

“It is often said that Oberon is a part of Bathurst and Lithgow, “ Mr Whalan said. “Because we are bundled in with them, these areas get aged care beds and we don't."

Mr. Whalan said people living in and around Oberon had to travel an enormous distances to other nursing homes.

That travel involved country roads and the perils, that come with them such as kangaroos and wombats.

“In Sydney, if you can't get into a certain nursing home, you just go to the next suburb,” he said.