3000 push for Medicare

By Shaun Inguanzo
ALMOST 3000 shoppers, traders and residents have kicked off a campaign to have a Medicare branch at Parkmore Shopping Centre.
Keysborough Ward councillor Roz Blades tabled a petition at Monday’s council meeting with just under 3000 signatures.
Cr Blades said the petition had been left in the shopping centre for three weeks and had attracted the support of a plethora of shoppers, Parkmore traders and nearby residents wanting a Medicare office.
“Seven years ago there was a Medicare office at Parkmore,” she said.
“There was one at both Dandenong and Parkmore and Medicare didn’t want the Parkmore one any more.
“But since then the area has grown.
“There are also a lot of elderly people in retirement villages in the area.”
Cr Blades said a Medicare office would save thousands of residents a trip into Dandenong and provide trade boosts for Parkmore’s retailers.
She said the campaign for a Medicare centre had been initiated by Parkmore’s centre manager Linda Burgess.
Ms Burgess was unavailable for comment before deadline.
Cr Blades said Federal Isaccs MP Ann Corcoran had thrown her support behind a Medicare centre for Parkmore.
But Cr Blades said the path to securing a Medicare shop would be a challenging trek.
“I think it is going to take a bit of work,” she said.
“We will approach the Federal Minister for Health because it is a federal issue, and we will lobby him.”
Cr Blades urged anyone who missed out on signing the petition to send a letter in support of the Medicare branch to Health Minister Tony Abbott.