The only way Peter Cormick could get his prostate cancer treated was by making a five-and-a-half hour round trip on a "dangerous goat track" while unwell.
Living in Deua River Valley on the NSW South Coast, the 73-year-old could not initially afford to attend his 39 radiation appointments spread across eight weeks at the nearest facility in Canberra, which required him to stay overnight.
"I think my treatment was unavoidably delayed because of the unavailability of radiation treatment locally or a greater resource available in Canberra," he said.
Many Far South Coast cancer patients are in the same position given there is no radiation oncology centre between Bega and Ulladulla.
Mr Cormick was one of 5,000 people to sign a petition calling for a facility at Moruya.
But he said he was "one of the lucky ones" as he qualified for free treatment, subsidised fuel and accommodation for travel to the cancer centre under the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme.
He said he had to wait six months to get a spot on the NSW government program given the overwhelming number of isolated regional patients seeking treatment in Canberra.
"This area is sometimes described as God's waiting room as we have so many retirees here and at this stage in life all these medical issues pop up and it just couldn't be a more obvious need," Mr Cormick said.
While the cost of fuel was subsidised, he still had to get himself to Canberra, which put an enormous strain on his personal life with many weekends spent apart from his wife, Anne.
"The impact on the household, on us being apart, and looking after one another, it's not possible when you're separated," he said.
Mr Cormick said the commute to Canberra was dangerous for Far South Coast cancer patients at the lowest point in their health and energy.
"The so-called Kings Highway is really just a bituminised goat track, really," he said.
Call for new service
Bega MP Michael Holland, who has backed the petition, said Canberra was not always an option for the weak and the elderly.
"These people are in pain, they are often suffering with nausea, they are suffering from problems with continence during their trip, so you can imagine being in a car for three to four hours suffering with those things and they are going there for a very brief period for a service which should be provided locally," Dr Holland said.
Regional Health Minister Bronnie Taylor said there was no evidence to support the need for the service in Moruya at this stage.
"The data isn't there to support that radiotherapy unit," she said.
But she said that could change.
"I mean, we've seen a massive surge in population," she said.
Mr Cormick said the state government was "just going to put another nail in the coffin" if it didn't provide the service.
The petition for the service will be submitted to the clerk of the legislative assembly next week and the minister is obliged to give a written response within five weeks.
