Corowa Medical Centre management’s wish to have a brand new two-storey multi-million dollar medical clinic to replace the 1951-constructed, unused for at least 20 years, three-storey nurses home in Guy Street took a big step forward yesterday.
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At Federation Council’s monthly meeting on October 20, council unanimously agreed to a development application to demolish the nurses home at 53-55 Guy Street and remove five pine trees.
Corowa has always had excellent health services for a town of its size according to Cr Paul Miegel.
“To see this coming to fruition is truly exciting, with potential for so many health services and, as Cr Thomas said, extending to the whole region,” he said. “It will enhance the region’s reputation as an A1 health provider.”
Cr Bronwyn Thomas pointed out the economic benefit to be derived and referred to the medical centre’s ‘holistic’ approach leading to excellent development of health services for the whole region.
She suggested retention of the foundation stone so people can still relate to some of the nurses home history, a suggestion which seems a foregone conclusion.
Cr Gail Law described the proposal as “great” which will “certainly improve the services of the town”.
“If the statistics are correct that over the next ten years Corowa is going to grow, I can only see good things coming with it, including employment,” she said.
Cr Fred Longmire acknowledged the time involved in the process could see services further develop in “a big way and a better way”.
Healthcare Projects Australia submitted the application, for the site which is impacted by the provisions of the Heritage Mapping under Corowa Local Environment Plan, listing the Corowa Hospital.
Development Application 2011/130 for a two-lot subdivision was approved under delegated authority to subdivide the nurses home site from the hospital site. The parent lot was listed in the Corowa Local Environmental Plan 2012 as containing the hospital as the listed item.
“The listing contains no information regarding the buildings or curtilage of the hospital that was to be included in the listing,” Federation Council’s director of development and environmental services, Susan Appleyard said.
“A review of the Corowa Local Environmental Plan 1989 also listed the Corowa Hospital, again containing no information regarding the buildings or curtilage of the hospital that was to be included in the listing.”
No submissions were received in response to the development application’s exhibition period 29 July to 12 August 2020.
Ms Appleyard said the Corowa Hospital complex has grown around the original hospital building to service the needs of the Corowa community. “The original hospital building which commenced construction in 1893, is no longer visible from the Nurses Home building,” she said.
“The Nurses Home was constructed in 1951 and is an example of the Post – War International style of Architecture c1940-1960 common for many government architectural building of the period.
“Photographs provided by the Save Our Heritage Corowa show that a building adjoining the nurses home has been demolished for the expansion of medical facilities at the hospital in latter part of the 20th Century.”
The nurses home was constructed to house nursing staff training and working at Corowa Hospital. “It was not important to the overall course or pattern of Corowa’s cultural or natural history,” Ms Appleyard said.
“The building housed a number of nurses and provided an opportunity for employment and accommodation of women in the post war period. It provides an insight into the conditions and facilities provided for these women. The building was designed by the NSW Government Architect Cobden Parkes. (1935-1958) the first Government Architect to be trained internally after commencing with the Department of Public Works, Architectural section in 1909.
“The building is an example of the Post –War International style of Architecture c1940- 1960 common for many government architectural building of the period. It is one of six buildings within the medical precinct from this period.”
In her detailed report for council, Ms Appleyard summed up by saying the former nurses home building is not considered to be of significant heritage value to be independently listed as a heritage item in the Local Environmental Plan (LEP).
“It therefore is not required to meet the objectives of clause 10.9 of the LEP,” she said. “The proposed demolition will have no impact on the existing heritage listed item, being the original hospital constructed in 1893 due to the infill development that has been undertaken between the two buildings.
“As a result the mapping for item I19 Corowa Hospital on Heritage Map - Sheet HER_006A should be amended to remove Lot 18, DP 1184334, 53-55 Guy Street, Corowa from the listing. This amendment is to be referred to the Conversion Local Environmental Plan currently being undertaken.”
Ms Appleyard said the social historic value should be recorded, adding, the building, however, is considered to have little remaining heritage value thanks to works undertaken in and round the building.
“The demolition will make way for a new medical centre which will far better serve the needs of the community rather than the current vacant building,” she said.
Demolition of the nurses home is subject to 12 conditions, including that all demolition works must be carried out safely and in accordance with the requirements of Safework NSW; that demolition may only be carried out between 7.00 am and 5.00 pm on Monday to Saturday, with no demolition at any time on Sundays or public holidays.
The big, disused Murrumbidgee Health District building was auctioned last November, fetching $238,000 and acquired by Corowa Medical Centre.
“Continuing the tradition of providing high quality comprehensive care, the Corowa Medical Centre has acquired the site to be able to provide residents of Corowa and surrounds, with a world class facility,” principal and senior doctor of Corowa Medical Centre Dr Ayon Guha told The Free Press at that time.
“The site could include radiology, multiple allied health services like physiotherapy, exercise physiology, dietician, and nutritionist, psychologist, counselling services and visiting medical and surgical specialists.”