Now occupied by a City Services depot nearing the end of its life, a greenfield site behind the Griffith shops will house a health centre for the Inner South – one of five ACT Labor promised at the 2020 election to build by the middle of the decade.
This facility will be completed in 2027, towards the end of the decade. Only one of the five health centres is operational: that in Molonglo opened two years ago. Another, in South Tuggeranong – a budget investment last year – is expected to open next year. Last week’s budget allocated $52.8 million to design and construct the Griffith health centre and another in North Gungahlin (in Casey), and to design one in West Belconnen.
The health centres, Rachel Stephen-Smith, ACT Minister for Health, explained, provide more nursing and allied health centres in the community, offering services such as podiatry, dentistry, community nursing, and physiotherapy.
“What we’re committing to deliver today is preventive care in the community for chronic illness and supporting care that will partner with a person’s general practitioner to ensure they’re getting the co-ordination of care that they need to keep well in the community and out of hospital,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Community consultation begins today, and ends on 12 August. The government will hold pop-up information stalls and community information sessions. Visit Inner South Health Centre | YourSay ACT for more information.
“This is really about ensuring that our services are fit for purpose for the community in which they are based, and that Canberrans can access health care where and when they need it, closer to home,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The needs of each region differ, the minister noted; the inner south, for instance, has an ageing population and pockets of low socio-economic disadvantage.
The development application stage will begin next year.
The Griffith site, on the corner of Throsby Crescent and Throsby Lane, was chosen for its proximity to community facilities – Griffith is a busy local shopping centre – and it has good public transport access (on the rapid bus route), Ms Stephen-Smith said.
One block is zoned for community facilities, another for urban open space; the government will implement a plan variation to ensure the site is appropriately zoned for a health facility.
The playground and some trees will need to be cleared to make way for the new facility. However, the government intends to relocate and redesign the playground to incorporate a stormwater project, while the trees are young, so easily transportable.
