Our Facilities
Our Facilities
On 1 March, Castlemaine Health amalgamated with Maldon Hospital to create a new organisation called ‘Dhelkaya Health’. Dhelkaya Health includes CHIRP Community Health, which amalgamated with Castlemaine Health on 1 October 2021.
There are always changes happening across our sites and facilities. The many changes you’ll see and hear about all form part of our work to ensure we are making the very best of our buildings and grounds.
Castlemaine Health (Cornish Street, Castlemaine)
Cornish Street is our main site in Castlemaine. This where you’ll find our urgent care centre, inpatient and outpatient services, maternity services, and Castlemaine-based residential aged care.
Aged care is situated in three single-story residences around the perimeter of the site. These are Ellery House, Thompson House and Penhall. You can see how the buildings are configured and find parking on our site map.
We’ve recently constructed a new laundry and stores building, which you’ll see on arrival outside our Main Reception. You might also notice a site that has been fenced off near our main carpark. This site is part of our ongoing redevelopment works to improve access and make sure services are easy to get to, and easy to use.
Community Health (Spencely House, Castlemaine)
Spencely House is the new home of community health services. Community health was previously located at 13 Mostyn Street, Castlemaine. In March 2021 CHIRP integrated with Castlemaine Health.
The integration enabled both organisations to pool their staff and resources to get the very best health and wellbeing outcomes for our community. In June 2022 it also enabled us relocate community health from the rented accommodation in Mostyn Street to premises we already owned at Spencely House.
Community health appointments are now available from Spencely House at our fully refurbished facility. Car parking and disabled car parking is located nearby. Other transport options are available.
Community Health Information Hub (Templeton Street, Castlemaine)
As part of community health’s move to Spencely House, we also established a new Community Health Information Hub co-located with Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street.
Our community health staff are available from the Information Hub to provide information and support to access our community services. The Information Hub is a walk-in service, no appointment needed – just drop in.
Community Services Hub (Chapel Street, Maldon)
A Community Services Hub opened at Maldon Hospital in July 2022 offering a range of new community health services to the Maldon community.
Services available from the Hub include podiatry, diabetes education, counselling for adults and children, audiology and continence services. Other specialists soon to be available include dietitians, physiotherapists, speech pathologists and alcohol and drugs counsellors.
Any Maldon residents already travelling to Castlemaine for these services can now discuss changing their appointment location with their practitioner.
The Community Services Hub has a separate reception to the main hospital and aged care, so clients can enter from Adair Street.
Maldon Hospital (Chapel Street, Maldon)
Maldon Hospital is located at Chapel Street, Maldon. This is where you’ll find our minor injuries and illness clinic, acute services and residential aged care. Residential aged care is available from Mountview Home and Jesse Bowe House.
In June 2022 we were delighted to open a new Sensory Garden and the Jesse Bowe Garden Room.
The Sensory Garden has garden beds designed at waist height to enable residents to interact with the plantings. Walking paths are clear and flat to ensure residents can independently make their way to and around the garden. The garden also incorporates a number of quirky and playful aesthetic features. The garden is designed to stimulate the senses and enhance outdoor lifestyle for residents and families.
The Jesse Bowe Garden Room offers residents and their families a modern indoor space for special events and gatherings. The room is equipped with a coffee machine and other facilities to help families feel at home. The room doubles as an event space for staff so has a multi-purpose functionality that has already proved extremely valuable for family and staff events.
Old Mt Alexander Hospital Site (Halford Street, Castlemaine)
The Halford Street site was the previous home of the Mount Alexander Hospital. Some areas of Halford Street are leased by small business owners who operate from the buildings there. The Halford Street site is managed by Dhelkaya Health, a new health service created through the integration of Castlemaine Health and Maldon Hospital in March 2022.
The Halford Street site was discussed as part of a comprehensive community consultation in 2016. The consultation talked about the challenges we face delivering health services into the future, in particular because of the age of our buildings and the lack of connections between our facilities. This makes access a real issue, in particular for older people and those with mobility issues.
The Victorian Government’s Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) works across the state to ensure our state health system meets the current and future needs of our population. The VHBA has responsibility for the planning and delivery of the Victorian Government’s health infrastructure program.
The VHBA recently completed installation of a 200kWp solar array for Dhelkaya Health, as well as upgraded clinical equipment and replaced our ageing car fleet. The VHBA is also looking at our Halford Street and Cornish Street sites as part of their ongoing program of work to improve Victoria’s health infrastructure. The VHBA plans to conduct geotechnical surveys of both Cornish Street and Halford Street sites in July 2022.
In November 2022, The Regional Health Infrastructure Fund (RHIF) announced funding for Dhelkaya Health to undertake the demolition of the former nurses quarters on the Halford Street site (the building on the corner of Myring & Hargraves Streets). This work is being undertaken by The Digga Group and is expected to take place from 1st May 2023, taking up to 3 weeks to complete. The adjacent buildings and offices will remain intact.
For more information see our Frequently Asked Questions below or email info@castlemainehealth.org.au
Frequently Asked Questions
What is happening at Halford Street?
The old nurses quarters were decommissioned over 25 years ago, and lay empty since then. They were the target of vandalism and damage and have become unsafe. Dhelkaya Health announced new funding from the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund late last year to demolish this one building that sits on the corner of Myring & Hargraves Streets. The Digga Group undertook the demolition work.
When is it happening?
The demolition work ran from 1 May to 19 May.
What happened on the site and when?
An initial safety audit was completed internally to assess and plan the hazardous substance removal phase, which will be the first phase of the works. This audit was conducted in late April.
Once the audit was completed, safety fencing was constructed around the perimeter of the demolition site (ie. not around the whole hospital site, just where the Old Nurses’ Quarters was located). A site office was installed near the demolition site around the same time.
From 1 May 2023 appropriately qualified and trained professionals removed hazardous materials from the site. Demolition took place after this work was completed.
What was the impact on neighbours?
The demolition work took place during daylight hours. The contractors had dust prevention strategies in place to eliminate excessive dust during the demolition.
Were there any access issues on surrounding roads while the site work was taking place?
There was minimal impact on surrounding roads. There was an increase in trucks and other associated vehicles using the roads, but all residents and businesses maintained access to parking and the surrounding roads.
What will happen to the Workspace offices and building?
The Workspace offices and building will remain intact. Tenants directly adjacent to the worksite were offered alternative rooms during the demolition work to minimise noise disruptions. This building will continue to be used by Workspace as a small business incubator for the foreseeable future.
What will happen to the site now the building has been removed?
The site will be “made good” as a green space. All rubble and fencing will be removed, grass seed will be sown and some basic low plantings. The area will be left as a neat, open, green space.
If your question has not been aswered, please email info@castlemainehealth.org.au