THE Adelong/Batlow MPS Committee met with Mr Chin Young from Rice Daubney, the appointed architect to design the new Adelong/Batlow MPS, last week.

The MPS committee and Batlow Hospital staff had a chance to view the first MPS draft plan and to make comments and changes.

Over the next few months there will be further consultation and discussions with community members, hospital staff, MPS committee members and GSAHS representatives before the final plan is submitted and approved for the building of the Adelong/Batlow MPS.

The Adelong/Batlow MPS development will run concurrently with Junee and Berrigan's MPS. A Steering committee has been set up to oversee these three GSAHS MPS projects.

The committee consists of Rice Daubney, the project director and principle design consultant, various GSAHS representatives, the health service managers and an MPS committee member from all three sites.

The Adelong/Batlow MPS committee has worked long and hard in conjunction with GSAHS to get the Adelong/Batlow MPS off the ground and to its current stage.

The chairperson, Diana Droscher, said, "It's an exciting time for the Adelong and Batlow communities as they will actually see some progress and hopefully see the first sod of soil turned over before the end of 2006."

The tender is planned to go out in August 2006, award the contract in October 2006, and construction should commence at the end of October 2006.

During this period it is expected that the Adelong Community Health Centre will receive it's long awaited upgrade. The expected completion of the Adelong/Batlow MPS is within 12 months of commencement of construction, so by the end of 2007.

If any community member has any questions about the Adelong/Batlow MPS they can contact an MPS committee member or the Acting Health Service Manager Colleen Power at Batlow Hospital.

TUMUT & ADELONG TIMES

Tuesday, December 20, 2005