The announcement of new funding through the National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Fund has renewed hope a centre like Molong’s Waluwin Family and Community Centre could be built in the town.

Council has agreed to support any application for grants.

“There’s a committee in Canowindra that’s been looking at it for the next 12 to 18 months as have council staff,” general manager Graeme Fleming said.

“The project would be largely government funded like the one in Molong here.”

It is hoped the community owned centre would make it easier for the town to attract new doctors who would not need to invest start-up capital to begin practising.

“We have two great doctors in Canowindra and we’re very fortunate but it’s getting harder for them to maintain facilities and service and we need to look 20 to 30 years down the track,” Mr Fleming said.

He said the centre would be much smaller than the Molong centre and aimed primarily at doctors and allied health professionals.

Molong’s Waluwin Centre will have a range of

services from doctors to day care. Workers on the Molong centre are still preparing the foundation of the site after the discovery of old fibro sheeting.

Mr Fleming said materials were on site however with the slab expected to be laid soon.