Sick farmer offers to donate $2.5m land for regional hospital

Alan McIntosh wants to give 12 hectares of land, which is reportedly worth $2.5 million, to the NSW Government so it can build a much-needed hospital in his local area, but he’s having a tough time getting someone to take up his generous offer.

Speaking on A Current Affair Thursday night, the 77-year-old farmer who lives just outside Kingscliff on the New South Wales’ north coast, said he is “not getting any younger” and wanted “to give something back to the community”.

“I have cancer, bowel cancer. I know we’re not here for a long time so hopefully we can make it a good time,” he said.

The great-grandfather, who needs to travel across the boarder for his cancer treatment, said the need for better services in the area was behind his generous offer. However, he’s so far been met with radio silence from local government members. 

“It’s not about the money,” McIntosh says. “I want to give something back to the community which has supported me for fifty years.”

McIntosh no longer farms the land and says it would be a perfect site for the planned $534 million hospital. But the former newsagent said when he rang his local member to offer the property, he was told they would get back to him, but heard nothing. 

“That’s what they said. ‘I’ll get back to you’,” McIntosh said. “Then I thought, gee if I was getting that land for nothing, you know I’d be having a look at it straight away.”

The NSW Government has already selected a sight for a hospital on farm land closer to Kingscliff, however the proposed site has divided the community, and would of course cost a lot more than the free 12 hectares McIntosh is offering. Locals in the area say they’re concerned that a hospital on either site would lead to more high rises being developed in the area, which they want to avoid. 

The problem of development or local charm is one that faces many regional communities. For McIntosh, who’s had to suffer through the pain of travelling long distances for treatment, he just wants locals to have more options. 

The 77-year-old also added his family, whose inheritance he’s giving away, also are worried. “My wife keeps reminding me as the hours go by that I could be a wealthy man,” he said. “She keeps saying do you know what you’ve done?”

The Tweed Valley community has been given six weeks to give feedback on the proposed site and suggest alternative sites for feedback.

What do you think? Do you think this is a nice gesture?