The Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service (AWAHS) is a community-controlled organisation established to deliver primary healthcare services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families across Albury Wodonga and surrounding regions.
Habitat Planning is proud to have supported AWAHS in securing planning approval for an architecturally designed, purpose-built medical centre in Wodonga — a significant investment in local health infrastructure that will expand essential services and improve access to care for the community.
The development sees the relocation of AWAHS’s existing Wodonga clinic to a new, centrally located site, addressing the limitations of the current facility and enabling future service growth. The approved proposal comprises a contemporary two-storey medical centre designed to accommodate a broad range of integrated health and community services, including general practice, nursing, allied health and family support services, together with consulting and treatment rooms, administrative areas and staff amenities. The new service is supported by on-site car parking, including accessible bays, and a dedicated patient transport service to enhance accessibility.
Habitat Planning worked closely alongside the project team to navigate key planning considerations to secure a positive planning outcome. This included facilitating a health-based land use within a central location, responding to built form and urban design requirements, and addressing access, servicing and parking requirements which were each underpinned by strategic reasoning for accessible, locally delivered healthcare.
The approval of the AWAHS medical centre is a meaningful step forward in supporting the health and wellbeing of the local community. By enabling services to be delivered within Wodonga, the development reduces the need for patients to travel to Albury for non-urgent care and strengthens the provision of culturally safe and appropriate, community-focused health services; thereby highlighting the role of thoughtful planning in enabling critical social infrastructure and delivering lasting community benefit.
A wonderful project to be involved in — we congratulate Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service, fellow project partners and all involved.
Client: Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service
Collaborators: JWP Architects, Yonder Landscape Architecture
Disciplines: Town Planning
Location: Wodonga, Victoria
Date: 2023
Render: JWP Architects