Construction is reportedly progressing well on the South Tuggeranong Health Centre, at the corner of Box Hill Avenue and Heidelberg Street in Conder — and not in Condor, as the ACT Government’s media release said.
A health centre inside a rather large South American vulture would be unhygienic, to say the least.
Besides, how would it fit? The Andean condor has a wingspan of 3.3 metres; the Californian condor’s is 2.77 metres.
The Tuggeranong health centre, however, is promised to feature 11 consultation rooms and a flexible layout to support the delivery of services, including paediatrics, pathology collection, dementia care, diabetes clinics, falls and falls injury prevention, chronic disease programs and a virtual care room.
Is the condor dimensionally transcendental like a TARDIS, one wonders?
The scaffolding has been removed, the building’s brickwork, glazing and detailing are clearly emerging, and services and walls are being installed.
The RSPCA may wish to investigate whether bricking up and glazing over one of the world’s largest flying land birds ruffles some feathers.
Construction will be complete in mid-2026, and the centre is expected to open later this year. (But which end will be open: beak or cloaca?)
The health centre was designed with input from clinicians and the local community to ensure it meets their needs. (But does it meet the bird’s needs?)
Other new health centres include the Inner South Health Centre, Griffith, which Chief Minister Andrew Barr and planning minister Chris Steel last month declared a Territory Priority Project. It will offer dental and oral health care, pathology collection, post-acute care management, rapid access clinics, and chronic disease management.
The North Gungahlin Health Centre, which will be on Kingsland Parade in Casey, is being designed. The government is reviewing potential sites for the West Belconnen Health Centre.
Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA said: “The Government is committed to making healthcare easier to access for Canberrans, no matter where they live.
“These four new health centres will allow patients to receive treatment from skilled nurses, allied health professionals and specialists, working in partnership with their GP to keep them well in the community.
“Delivering coordinated care closer to home means issues are less likely to escalate to the point where people need to present at an Emergency Department or be admitted to hospital, which is a win-win for consumers and the busy hospital system.
“I am looking forward to seeing the completion of the South Tuggeranong Health Centre later this year, and the progress of the remaining three centres.”
