About
This page was last updated: 2022-04-27
This web site came into existence after some community meetings with NSW Central-West Health regarding the construction of the new Cowra Hospital behind the existing buildings which would be followed by the demolition of the old buildings to make way for some parking and garden areas. At the meeting I attended, I was more interested in the Medical Imaging technology that would be installed in the new hospital but I was somewhat surprised to learn that the decision about the demolition of the old buildings was made at the State level and was already “set in stone”. This situation did NOT please most of the residents of the meeting I went to . .
I now had a direct interest in what would happen with the old buildings - if I could make use of the old buildings, it would save me the trouble of contstructing new buildings for the various BioMedical projects I had been planning for my own block across the road from the hospital. So I sent an email to the Health people to see if there was any interest in doing some sort of deal that would preserve the buildings. I reprint my email below but suffice it say:
- The main buildings are in good condition and it would be a waste of many decades of work and, in terms of sustainability, it seems unwise to wipe out all that embodied energy and resource without at least evaluating the options.
- I think the main Art Deco buildings have Heritage value.
- If I have a number of potential BioMedical uses for the buildings, I am sure there would be other groups, organisations and people who could also make good of the spaces. I will expand further on this idea in a followup post.
Here are my original emails to Central West Health:
Subject Cowra Hospital Redevelopment wrt 3-5 Saje Court Cowra
From Philip Rhoades <phr@qps.com.au>
To HI-Cowra <HI-Cowra@health.nsw.gov.au>
Reply-To phr@qps.com.au
Date 2022-04-11 12:01
Annabel,
Since the face2face meeting the other night I have had more thoughts about the
hospital development wrt my own further developments for 3-5 Saje Court:
Background:
In my "Life Extension Village" (7,652sqm in Saje Court with a 70m frontage on
Brisbane St), I had intended to build more residential, free-standing dwellings
but also a BioMedical Ressearch Facility / Private Medical Clinic on Brisbane
St:
Now, however, it occurs to me that if the old hospital is NOT demolished, I
could use those building for my purposes. This could be accomplished by a Real
Estate swap - my block and the new, single ("Swiss Chalet") dwelling for the
main hospital buildings and the land that they are on. Or, alternatively,
which would probably involve less legal stuff, we could do a 99 year lease
(peppercorn rental) swap.
This deal would have some advantages for both of us:
- Much reduced demolition would appease the locals
- Much reduced demolition would greatly reduce costs for the hospital
redevelopment
- It would save me a long construction projects with DAs etc etc
- The new hospital would still have room for gardens on the East side of
Brisbane St
- It would provide MUCH more land for extended, terraced parks / gardens for
the new hospital on the West side of Brisbane St
The proposed hospital redevelopment area appears to make use of:
- 64 Liverpool St
- 2 Ina Dr
- 4 Ina Dr / 115-119 Brisbane St
but NSW Health also appears to own the block above that area which also crosses
over Brisbane St into the area above Bennelong Pl - so it would not be
inconsistent for the hospital to also own 3-5 Saje Court:
Also, as a general comment for the hospital redevelopment, it would make sense
to excavate into the hill on the North side and put a Gabon wall there - this
would allow a more level walk from town up Liverpool St and a car park beneath
the development. Additionally, with that course of action, it would make sense
to turn a part of Brisbane St into a bridge to allow walking, wheel chair,
pram, eMobility Vehicles etc easy access under Brisbane St to the new park in
3-5 Saje Court.
Could you please pass this email and info on to whoever might need to consider
this? If this idea is of sufficient interest to warrant a more detailed
investigation, any deal would have to include the removal of any asbestos in
the old hospital buildings - but a gutting is probably necessary anyway.
Regards,
Phil.
--
Philip Rhoades
Quad Point Systems Pty Ltd
PO Box 896
Cowra NSW 2794
Australia
E-mail: phr@qps.com.au
I followed up with this update:
Subject Re: Cowra Hospital Redevelopment wrt 3-5 Saje Court Cowra
- more advantages
From Philip Rhoades <phr@qps.com.au>
To HI-Cowra <HI-Cowra@health.nsw.gov.au>
Reply-To phr@qps.com.au
Date 2022-04-13 13:48
Annabel,
My proposal would have other advantages as well:
- A BioMedical Research Facility would be good for Cowra and the Central West
generally - the Council would really appreciate the development.
- One of the projects to be carried out by my Neural Archives Foundation
non-profit would be: low and high-resolution MRI brain imaging - an ancillary
use of the research hardware could be normal, medical MRI imaging for Cowra
people - which would save trips to Orange and Bathurst. This project would
also involve developing AI Image Processing software and require installing a
significant IT infrastructure.
- There is probably some heritage value in preserving the main buildings.
There was other things but I will wait to see if there is any interest in
talking about the proposal first . .
Regards,
Phil.
So now I want to find out if there are more people who would like to join in this campaign to sensibly make use of the old Cowra Hospital buildings - the feeling I got from the public meeting I went to is that there are quite a few people . .
See my later posts for the updated, current situation.
Regards,
Philip Rhoades (Saje Court).