Albury Council approves $3.8 million brain and mind centre development application

The council unanimously approved the development application on Monday night for the centre to be operated by Albury Wodonga Health which has been on the drawing board since late 2016 and been the subject of political tit-for-tat between mayor Kevin Mack and member for Albury, Greg Aplin.

Extensive internal and demolition works formed part of the application as did the creation of a new entry and drop off area and staff car parking places in the northern part of the property.

Earmarked for demolition are the existing walkway bridge between Mercy Health and an adjoining property to the north of the site and a maintenance building.

There will also be a re-direction of internal driveway movements to create a one-way flow from Poole Street to Kiewa Street.

AWH will occupy the majority of level one and a small part of level two with existing Mercy Health services to be be distributed across other levels.

Presently level three is unoccupied and level four is used for palliative care operated by Mercy Health.

The development application was lodged by Habitat Planning on behalf of Albury Wodonga Health in December last year with amended plans only received this month even though they were considered to be substantially the same as those originally notified.

Council approval was required as the project was a Crown application.

Habitat Planning listed its reasons why the application deserved council support.

They included the proposal didn’t increase the floor area or height of the building and it retained and improved essential health care facilities within a preferred area of Albury.

Mr Aplin has previously described the brain and mind centre in conjunction with a still to be built replacement Nolan House as a “completely modernised” way of managing mental health in the city.