When that does happen it will be culmination of years of hard work – of the community’s lobbying, of the eventual announcement of funding, to the build itself.

It is an enormous project, with up to 100 workers on site at various stages.

But the fruits of all that labour are apparent to anyone who drives past.

The striking three-storey building, which will include a 30-bed inpatient ward and 30 chemotherapy chairs, certainly stands out.

But even when the finishing touches have been applied to the building, the work will continue.

The focus now will be on sourcing the funds needed to fit-out the building to make it more welcoming and comfortable for patients and their families.

Albury Council is already leading the way on that front, having contributed $100,000 to the project.

At this stage the money will go to either the children’s treatment area or the wellness centre.

Regardless of where the money is spent, it is an allocation that should be supported by all across the Albury community.

As former Albury mayor Kevin Mack has pointed out, a lot of people in our community are touched by cancer.

Indeed, it would be difficult to find anyone who does not have someone in their family who has battled the disease or know a close friend or colleague in such a situation.

It makes the council’s contribution a worthy step, and one that we can afford – Cr Mack equates this to a $2 donation from every city resident.

The council’s donation is an important step on the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund’s path to raise $2 million by the end of next year.

That is a substantial amount of money, but if the load can be shared right across the region – and the centre will help people from a large area – it becomes a much easier goal to reach.

Cr Mack has spoken out on how he hopes Albury’s lead can set an example.

It is a fair call. A wide catchment of the North East and the Riverina, covering at least 250,000 people, will be serviced by the new centre.

We would hope that other councils would do their best to follow Albury Council’s generous lead.