The new hydrotherapy pool in Canberra's south is a step closer following the appointment of Monarch Building Solutions as head contractor and the recent development approval for the project.
Joining Monarch Building Solutions on site today for the turning of the first sod, Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the construction phase is the next step following extensive community consultation and engagement with stakeholders to inform the design of the facility.
"This milestone means that we are closer to improving access for people on Canberra's southside who require hydrotherapy services. This facility will complement the hydrotherapy pool at the University of Canberra Hospital as well as private facilities on both the north and southside of Canberra," Minister Stephen-Smith said.
Hydrotherapy offers a vital service for a wide range of Canberrans. It provides people who have mobility challenges with an important form of recreation, supports people to better manage chronic pain caused by illnesses such as cancer, migraine, osteoarthritis and arthritis, and helps people recover from injury or surgery.
"The hydrotherapy pool is part of the ACT Government's investment in more health infrastructure and services across the ACT to ensure Canberrans can access the right healthcare, at the right time, closer to home, including additional services at Tuggeranong Walk-in Centre and construction of a new health centre in south Tuggeranong," Minister Stephen Smith said.
The ACT Government committed $8.5 million in the 2022–2023 ACT Budget for the design and construction of the new southside hydrotherapy facility.
Construction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Quote attributable to Marco Galeotti, Director of Monarch Building Solutions:
"Monarch Building Solutions is honoured to play a role in enhancing healthcare infrastructure in Canberra.
"Our team is excited and ready to dive straight into the construction of the new southside hydrotherapy pool and understand the importance of this facility to the local community.
"We look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to bring this vision to life and delivering a facility that Canberrans can be proud of."
Quotes attributable to Rebecca Davey, CEO of Arthritis ACT:
"Arthritis ACT welcomes the commencement of the building of this essential infrastructure. For people living with chronic pain conditions which includes all types of Arthritis, hydrotherapy is essential both to providing ongoing pain relief as well as a wonderful place to exercise, especially for those that get a lot of pain when exercising.
"As our city grows and matures, we need to ensure the number of hydrotherapy pools also grows to meet the needs of an ageing and growing city. Gone are the days when our older Canberrans left the city at the end of their career. They now remain with their families and friends, and we need to ensure that the infrastructure required to provide the services of these older Canberrans is in place to make this an enjoyable lifestyle choice. Our city benefits from the wisdom and experience of our older Canberrans through increased volunteering, family support systems as well as encouraging our younger families to remain where 'mum and dad' are.
"We look forward to there being adequate therapeutic hydrotherapy pools (that is, pools at run at a temperature of at least 34 degrees) in Canberra going into the future to meet the needs of our community."
