NOWRA’S new cancer care centre is to be built beside the existing hospital car park, despite fears the project will further eat into an historic reserve.
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On Tuesday night Shoalhaven City Council unanimously endorsed the preferred site of the planned $35 million South Coast Cancer Care Centre in Nowra Park.
At the same time council acknowledged the historical significance of the area on which the cancer centre is proposed, as part of the last remnants for the first declared reserve in NSW.
It is writing to NSW Health asking for a financial contribution towards landscaping Nowra Park, including a sign describing the reserve’s history.
A report to the meeting said the Scenic Drive location was the only practical site for the cancer care centre.
“It is considered there are no other viable options in close proximity to the hospital precinct that could be made available in the time frames required,” wrote council general manager Russ Pigg.
He told the meeting NSW Health was in favour of the Scenic Drive site.
When funding for the centre was recently announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, he said the centre would contain a linear accelerator, two radiotherapy bunkers, eight additional chemotherapy chairs, medical diagnostic equipment including a CT scanner, and a 10-bedroom patient and carer accommodation facility.
The plan also includes a separate car park for the cancer centre.
Council was told on Tuesday night the centre would accommodate clinical specialties including medical oncology, clinical haematology, radiation oncology, palliative care, surgical oncology, cancer psychosocial services and cancer rehabilitation services.
Once fully operational, the centre will allow for an additional 414 radiotherapy patients to have access to treatment each year, and provide an additional 4000 chemotherapy treatments each year along with additional accommodation close to Shoalhaven Hospital.
Shoalhaven Mayor Paul Green said it was one of the most important projects to come to the city in past years.
He paid tribute to all the people who had contributed to the community raising more than $1 million towards the centre, which helped convince the Federal Government to act.
A key part of that was former mayor Greg Watson, who started the Linear Accelerator Appeal after being approached by the late Dr Ray Cleary and former council assistant general manager Paul Dean.
