Architect appointed for BCHS upgrade

THE redevelopment of Bendigo Community Health Services’ Eaglehawk site has taken a step forward with the announcement of the project’s architect.

EBD Architects will design the $7.3 million upgrade to the now 48-year-old building as part of a new BCHS masterplan to future proof their services for decades to come.

BCHS executive leader Callum Wright said the new centre could include features like negative pressure waiting rooms to reduce the chance of diseases spreading among patients and technology upgrades for telehealth services.

“Built in 1974, [the building] hasn’t changed much since then and it’s really quite exciting for the Eaglehawk community and the communities of this side of Bendigo that we’re about to turn this into a state-of-the-art health and wellbeing centre on their behalf,” he said.

Director at EBD Architects, Darragh O’Brien, said community engagement would be undertaken as part of the redevelopment to find out what facilities are needed.

“We will be running programs with a separate consultant group who are looking at the service provisions, so we’ll be talking to the community with those consultants and then we’ll be responding in terms of how the physical infrastructure will be able to deliver those services moving into the future,” he said.

Funding for the project was first announced in October last year and Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said while BCHS had played an important role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the new centre would expand its capabilities.

“It will mean more space, it will mean better technology, it will mean that we can attract GPs to this part of the world, and it means that the people of Eaglehawk and the community will have access to a world class service in a world class building,” she said.