Did RDA cost Bathurst it's seating clinic?

With a number of Bathurst residents disgusted at the local health service's removal of a local wheelchair seating clinic on cost grounds, one local parent has laid the blame squarely at the local branch of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) which has been implicated in the misuse of funding under the federal government's Trade Training Centre program.

The parent claims that she recalls RDA being given an amount in the vicinity of $200,000 by the local health service to relocate from its site at Eric Sargent Drive to its present location behind Carenne Special School. The parent, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear or reprisals told Carenne Gate that she remembers being told that RDA had approached Gerard Martin through Michael Auld to receive "ex-gratia compensation" for having to move from the health service's site in Eric Sargent Drive.

The parent told Carenne Gate that this $200,000 could have been better used to provide a seating clinic, which the health service claims will cost $300,000 to remove.

"Wouldn't you think Auld would have been happy getting an infinite lease on the land behind the school, no, he had to get money as well, that is two-thirds of what GWAHS is saying it will cost to relocate the clinic,"

"I'm just mortified that they can pay RDA to move, when they help very few people in the community, Jim helps almost 300 people at no cost. After reading this site I am horrified to see that RDA is charging Carenne $80 a student for a service they provide when they feel like it. It's horrendous."

The question is now why could the state government give RDA money to move and not pay to relocate its own clinic?