Chairman of the Oberon Aged Care Committee Ian Whalan said that these extra beds could help with the immediate aged care needs of Oberon until bed allocations are made and the proposed facility is operational.

However, Mr Whalan said that the Hospital's management said that any extra aged care beds they could plan to include at the hospital would take around two years to implement, by which time the proposed facility could arguably be operational.

Mr Whalan said that the Oberon Hospital have been using acute beds for aged care patients to assist with the huge need for aged care in Oberon, and that also that GWAHS are very supportive of the proposed aged care facility and are willing to work with the developers.

Mr Whalan said that Oberon's only option at the moment is to rely on home care packages, and wait to hear whether Oberon has been successful in receiving bed allocations.

Oberon Council have submitted a Development Application for the proposed facility, and have procured the land for the facility, making the proposal more attractive to those assessing Oberon for bed allocations.

“The Aged Care Committee congratulate the Council on the steps they have taken. These steps have saved time in the process,” he said.

Mr Whalan said that the Aged Care Committee are currently counting the Council's aged care survey that was carried out earlier in the year. The information will then be given to an expert for analysis.

Mr Whalan said that Oberon's hopes all hang in the bed allocations to be announced later in the year.

“The people of Oberon are going to have to hang on,” he said.