Dubbo’s own purpose-built accommodation for regional and remote people accessing medical services locally – Macquarie Home Stay (MHS) – celebrated a major milestone late last month with the opening of a brand new facility.

About 240 people attended the event on Friday, September 26, that formally opened the newly-built Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW Guesthouse in the MHS grounds.

Major donors, sponsors, political leaders, community members, volunteers, and supporters attended the event and enjoyed an opportunity to walk through the facility afterwards.

The event enabled MHS to express its appreciation to the many communities, individuals, and organisations who have contributed to the facility’s development and MHS’s ongoing operation.

Managing Director Rod Crowfoot told those gathered that the 51-unit patient accommodation facility played a critical part in the puzzle of regional healthcare.

“Our facilities help connect services, our patients to treatment, and our communities become healthier, stronger, more robust, and we have thriving regional communities,” Mr Crowfoot said.

Over 700 people stayed at MHS during August, with some 4500 in the previous financial year, Mr Crowfoot added. The addition of the new wing will mean an expected 8500 people will get to stay at MHS each year.

While not the only sponsor to support the construction of the new 26-unit facility, the CWA of NSW was given the naming rights to the building as so many local branches contributed to the cost of developing it.

MHS board chair Andrew Single thanked donors for their support, including the NSW government for its funding commitment of $2.5 million, describing them all as “the Macquarie Home Stay community.”

“You – this community – have enabled this facility to go from a dream to a concept to reality,” he said.

“You also enable us to look forward,” he added, indicating the next project for MHS has been identified and will be revealed in good time.

Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders, who has been heavily involved in gaining government support for the project, said community involvement made the new guesthouse possible.

“It's about a community will – and a community willingness – to want to keep being involved. The effort that people put in every week to be here and support the people staying here continues. It hasn't faded. It's grown,” Mr Saunders said.

CWA of NSW president, Tanya Jolly, and immediate past president, Joy Beames, also addressed those gathered.

Mrs Jolly paid tribute to the collective efforts by CWA branches in helping fund the facility.

“It is through the generosity of our members and branches that we have proudly contributed well over half a million dollars to this vital facility, funding that has helped make

[this guesthouse] a reality,” she said.

Mrs Beames singled out the Dunedoo community for special mention.

“The whole community went above and beyond their usual community contributions and raised the funds for a double room and more in just four months,” Mrs Beames said.

“Not bad for a town of just over 800 people. There are several people in [that] town who have been able to use this facility, and their gratitude is obvious.”

Duty MLC for Dubbo Electorate, Stephen Lawrence, thanked MHS for providing support to many country people.

“The chilling reality in our community, particularly in remote towns, is [some] people are not getting treatment for cancer, and that is due to a whole range of reasons. Those communities, we know, are really among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in Australia. So that, to me, is one of the central, important things about this facility,” Mr Lawrence said.

Some of the dignitaries gathered to cut the ribbon officially opening the facility, before the celebratory cake was also cut and all the guests filed into the new wing to enjoy a delicious light lunch and tour of the new accommodation wing which features a mural acknowledging the support of the many donors who made construction possible.

It was clear to everyone who attended how important MHS is, and why community groups and organisations from across NSW continue to support it.

“We are known for so much more than just the bricks and mortar of a building,” Rod Crowfoot said.

“Our business and accommodation is changing lives, and saving lives, and for that we are truly grateful.”