Kingston block 'potentially suitable' for Inner South Health Centre but delays not feasible | Region Canberra
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith at the Griffith site, which will become home of the Inner South Health Centre. Photo: Ian Bushnell. The Health Minister has argued the promised Inner South Health Centre. . .
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith at the Griffith site, which will become home of the Inner South Health Centre. Photo: Ian Bushnell. The Health Minister has argued the promised Inner South Health Centre would be delayed by up to two years if the government considered a Kingston block for the site. The project will be fast-tracked thanks toits Territory Priority Project designationand will bebuilt behind the Griffith shops. Some have argued that a more central site in Manuka or Kingston would better serve the Inner South community. It has now been revealed that a privately owned site at 19 Giles Street in Kingston was brought to the government’s attention in early 2026. In response to a question on notice, Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the site was “potentially suitable”, but investigations into this location would cause too much delay. “Should the government wish to consider this site further, a full competitive market process would be required to offer the same opportunity to other potential property owners,” she wrote. “In addition, the business case approved by the government provided capital funding to build a government-owned and constructed Health Centre. “An alternative approach that proposed a different procurement strategy, such as ongoing recurrent lease payments, would require a new business case and decision of government. “These processes and potential subsequent redesign of the facility would delay the project by 1 to 2 years. ”The land at 19 Giles Street (Block 1 Section 29) in Kingston is already subject to a development application. It’s currently the site of a former childcare centre, but CF Prime Pty Ltd put forward a$13. 7 million proposalfor a four-storey office block with a medical centre on one-half of the ground floor. The development application was originally approved, but has since beensent back to the Planning Authority for reconsiderationfollowing an ACAT appeal. The application currently hasconditional approval. A development application for 19 Giles St, Kingston, currently has conditional approval. Photo: Burgess Rawson. Seven other sites were considered by the ACT Government when choosing a site for the Inner South health centre (eight in total). One was in Deakin, two in Fyshwick, two in Kingston and another two in Griffith. All but one of the Griffith sites had existing buildings on the land. Reasons they were deemed unsuitable included parts of buildings not complying with standard specifications, facilities being too small for service needs, fit-out difficulties, parking concerns and risk of heritage constraints. A new build on the carpark and playground behind the Griffith shops (left portion of Block 34, Section 78) emerged as the most suitable site. “Site determined to be suitable, with the decision made to explore consolidation with Block 33 and Block 39 to allow for a larger facility with ample parking,” a summary table supplied by Ms Stephen-Smith stated. There were three separate petitions calling for the health facility’s site to be reconsidered (here,hereandhere), along with calls for it to be a Walk-In Centre and for “genuine open consultation” to take place. In response, Ms Stephen-Smith pointed out that community consultation was undertaken between 1 July and 12 August 2024. “The clinical services profile for the Inner South Health Centre has been shaped by extensive community consultation and a focus on delivering services the community identified as most important,” she wrote. “Throughout this process, the community was advised that the Inner South Health Centre was operating as an appointment-only facility with standard business hours. “The resulting service scope reflects this feedback, along with strong demand identified for medical services and chronic disease programs, women’s health, public dental services and pathology. ”Ms Stephen-Smith said the centre’s model would complement existing community health centres, nurse-led Walk-In Centres and the Territory’s hospital system. She also tried to allay concerns that the project’s TPP status would prevent the community from having a say in the centre’s design and development. “The project must still go through the development application process, which will be publicly notified and allow further submissions as part of an independent assessment,” Ms Stephen-Smith wrote. “The [facility] is in the planning and design phase, and the size and layout of the facility have not yet been finalised. ”The site’s Major Plan Amendment has been approved. Community consultation on the design is expected to begin in either late July or early August. Subject to approval, construction is slated to begin in early 2027.