The emergency department of the Culcairn Multipurpose Service was opened to the public for a tour today before the first day of operation from midday on Monday.

The ED is the fourth and second-last stage of a redevelopment of the NSW Health site, to increase acute beds from five to seven, and residential aged care beds from 22 to 28, among other improvements.

Zauner Construction began work in 2017, first completing a new building to extend the existing aged care facility in mid-2018 and then demolishing the old hospital building on Balfour Street.

A group of about 50 people toured the brand new emergency department area on Thursday, including the local health advisory committee.

Chairman David Gilmore has been a member of the advisory group for 16 years and recalled the push for upgrades and the announcement of funding from Albury MP Greg Aplin in 2015.

“We had been pushing for extensions for Kiltearn House, the aged care facility, for years and were continually told we had enough beds,” he said.

“So it came as quite a surprise when Mr Aplin visited and announced $30 million for a whole new facility.

“Looking at it today, it’s beyond our wildest beliefs.”

Fellow LHAC member Margaret Pumpa said it was important to enhance the acute space and the original Kiltearn House, opened in the mid 1980s and originally run by the community.

“We wanted more security for staff and less miles to walk, because the old hospital was something like 10 stages that had been built on and built on,” she said.

Michelle Cottrell-Smith, manager of the transition to the new-look MPS, said the previous buildings had been hard to navigate.

“Everything was co-located before, but it was a rabbit warren, and some of the acute corridors didn’t meet regulations for fire,” she said.

“The building is beautiful and modern, and we have a lot of new rooms for treatment, triage, and mental health.”

Ms Cottrell-Smith said the redevelopment had been a complex process, with service provision moving to different sites and access changing to Edward Street.

“The new residential aged care was built first – that was milestone two,” she said.

“Milestone three was the refurbishment of half of the existing residential aged care, for the temporary hospital, and refurbishment of the house next door and community health moved in to there.

“Then they pulled the hospital down and built this.

“It’s new community health, new acute and inpatient units, and attached to it is the existing residential aged care buildings.

“There will be an increase in staffing and we will have two registered nurses on, and we’ve not had that before.”

Another first for the Culcairn MPS will be short-term staff accomodation – three self-contained units.

Construction of the accomodation at 57 Balfour Street, near the MPS entrance, will be the fifth and final stage of the development and is expected to be complete mid-year.

Murrumbidgee Local Health District regional general manager Rosemary Garthwaite hoped the addition, and the wider redevelopment, would entice health staff.

“That could be a workforce attraction opportunity – we can support students or people who want to come for short stints,” she said.

“While Culcairn is our third hospital in the MPS program five, the other two at Holbrook and Tocumwal were minor refurbishments, so this is our first whole rebuild and it’s so exciting.

“Another great thing about it is that community health will be at the front – often it is in a separate location somewhere else in town, or in the back of the building – and this new position sends positive messages about wellness.”

The Culcairn centre, part of the NSW government’s Multipurpose Service (MPS) Program, is the first in the Murrumbidgee Local Health District to have the relevant indigenous words alongside signage for departments.

For example, at the entrance to community health reads ‘Waluwin Gumayinygu’, which means ‘health for the people’ in Wiradjuri.

Ms Garthwaite said the approach was being adopted as new facilities were built under the MPS program.

“It’s certainly going to be a consistent theme because it is inclusive to have it clearly displayed all throughout the facility,” she said.

“For a small community, this is probably the biggest investment of money for health they have had in a long time.”

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Most major trauma cases won’t be seen at the Culcairn centre, and there isn’t a maternity section – though the odd baby has been delivered over time through the 24-hour emergency department.

But having access to medical care in town is crucial, and LHAC member Dot Livermore said it was fantastic the new service was nearly finished.

“They told us it wouldn’t even start for five years, and here it is finished,” she said.

Ms Garthwaite thanked the community for their passion for the project.

“I’m sure you've all been watching through the fences over the last 12 months and we’ve really come a long way,” she said.

“The bulk of the work is already delivered and it’s nearly finished.

“Thank you for being so patient and the staff have done an amazing job at maintaining services through the disruption.”

The $300 million program of works will upgrade existing or build new MPS facilities in a number of rural and remote communities across NSW, to integrate health, aged care and emergency services.

The Tocumwal and Holbrook upgrades were opened in June and August of 2017 respectively.