Community pressure has brought unlikely allies together with the Greens and Liberals joining the call to preserve David Berry Hospital.

The Hospital in Berry has been a critical piece of health infrastructure for the Illawarra and South Coast region since it opened in 1909, but more recently has not evolved with the contemporary models of health care.

Greens candidate for the Kiama by-election, Dr Tonia Gray, is calling on the NSW Labor Government to establish a centre of excellence for trauma-informed care at the soon to be vacant hospital.

“A centre of excellence for trauma-informed care would benefit a huge range of people,” Dr Gray said.

“[David Berry Hospital] would be a place of rest and healing for people who have experienced significant trauma.

“It would [also] provide training for health workers in trauma-informed care, and provide research to support clinicians across the state.”

Greens MLC, Dr Amanda Cohn, who chaired the equity, accessibility and appropriate delivery of outpatient and community mental health care in NSW in 2023, spoke specifically about one of the 39 recommendations from the inquiry.

“One of the key recommendations of that inquiry was for the NSW government to consider establishing a centre of excellence for trauma-informed care,” Dr Cohn said.

“A centre like this would benefit a huge range of people, from victim survivors of family violence and sexual assault, to people who have served in the emergency services or in the defence forces.”

It has been proposed by the NSW Government that the inpatient palliative care ward and the general and specialist inpatient rehabilitation currently occupying the David Berry Hospital, will be moved to the $438 million redevelopment at Shoalhaven Hospital, estimated for completion in 2026.

The Liberal Party's Kiama by-election candidate, Serena Copley, was joined by Opposition Leader Mark Speakman and NSW Shadow Health Minister Kellie Sloane where they unanimously rebuked the government’s handling of the Hospital.

“Labor opposed legislation last year to keep this in public hands, where the Liberals supported it,” Speakman said.

“[NSW Health Minister] Ryan Park and Chris Minns need to come clean on what their plans are for this hospital.”

Sloane called out the government specifically on their two-faced approach to the electorate.

“Labor is saying one thing in the city and another thing when they’re here in this community,” Sloane said.

“In the city, they’re opposing a bill to give certainty about this hospital.

“Here [in this community] they are saying we’re about to make a decision. Well, it is time for that decision and the community deserves it.”

Copley is also asking the government to provide clarity to the electorate about the future of the hospital.

“We need to put this worry to bed and make sure this facility will provide health services for our community, [the same] community that fought to have this forevermore in public hands, kept for the community in health services,” Copley said.

Kellie Sloane, Serena Copley, and Mark Speakman outside David Berry Hospital in Berry.

The Bugle asked the Greens and Liberal parties if they were willing to explore further development for the grounds of David Berry Hospital and both gravitated to their party values.

“The Greens believe that this site should be kept in public hands for community benefit, and we agree with the 87% of the people in the community survey who wanted it retained for health and wellbeing purposes,” Dr Cohn said.

Speakman said: “This is a public health facility and must remain as a public health facility. But to develop into something else? Well, maybe.”

At the Minnamurra Progress Association candidate forum on Tuesday night, Labor candidate Katelin McInerney fielded a question from the crowd about "her position in regard to either repurposing or redeveloping the existing infrastructure in order to make it more beneficial for the community" and she played a straight bat.

"I brought the Health Minister down to see how important and special this particular facility is. It will remain in public hands," she said.

"There have been 700 submissions made by community into what happens at David Berry Hospital all of those options are on the table at the moment – we will continue that community driven consultation because there hasn’t been a decision made by the State Government but this is a really important asset – for it’s next use I think we all want to see it put to the best possible use, especially if it can help people and play that really special role in our town."

Minister for Health Ryan Park said: “We’ve made it clear that under the Minns Labor Government, David Berry Hospital will remain in public hands. That was never in doubt.

“The only suggestion of potential sale of the David Berry Hospital has been the Liberals."

A component of the NSW Health’s Engagement Summary of the David Berry Hospital which was released by earlier this year provided considerations for Aboriginal and Indigenous communities.

Several respondents raised the historical mistrust towards governments and called for direct consultation with local Aboriginal groups with a deep connection to Country and environmental protection being deeply valued.

Speakman said that the Liberals' support for the century-old facility would pay homage to the deep history for Indigenous people.

“You absolutely must consult First Nations communities and that’s going to be an important part of this consultation,” Speakman said.

“If this remains a public health facility, there’s the possibility for Indigneous health outreach as well.”

Dr Gray did not mince her words about the consultation process.

“It just shouldn’t be a ‘white fella’ making the decision for that block [of land],” Dr. Gray said.