A bid has been made to preserve the Calvary Public Hospital Bruce and its religious iconography with a submission to the ACT Heritage Register. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
An urgent nomination has been filed with the ACT Heritage Register to protect the Calvary Public Hospital Bruce and the precinct because of its “historical and cultural significance”.
However, it’s not expected to affect the compulsory acquisition of the site or construction of the new northside hospital.
Catholic Action spokesperson John-Paul Romano said the group had written to ACT Heritage Minister Rebecca Vassarotti, Heritage Shadow Minister Nicole Lawder, as well as their federal counterparts, for the building and precinct to be put on the heritage register.
The submission includes protection for any iconography at the site, such as signage, statues, art or crucifixes.
“Catholic Action firmly believes that the unique history, tradition and social importance of Calvary [Public] Hospital warrant its protection through heritage listing,” Mr Romano said.
“Calvary Hospital is not merely a place of healing, but also a testament to our Christian history and an embodiment of our commitment to compassion and care for all.
“Listing Calvary Hospital as a heritage site will not only protect the physical infrastructure of the hospital but also help preserve its rich history, spiritual importance, and the ethos that is at the heart of its service to our community.”
Whether the application is successful or not, it won’t impact the current transition process between Calvary Health Care and the Territory.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said anyone interested in submitting a heritage application was free to do so, but it wouldn’t change what was happening on the ground.
“For this period of time, while the new northside hospital is being built, all those existing hospital buildings will continue to be used, and the iconography and its retention or removal is really a matter for Calvary at this point,” she said.
“That all belongs to Calvary at this point in time, and it will be their choice as to when it is taken down.”
Ms Stephen-Smith believed Calvary Health Care would choose to remove the items and it was unlikely religious icons would remain in a public hospital.
However, consultation has been occurring with staff about other aspects of the building which could remain in place.
“We have heard from staff that there are things in the physical infrastructure and in the place that are really important to them,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“So, for example, there’s a memorial garden that memorialises some of the staff that have worked at Calvary Public Hospital, and [current staff] have been very clear that they want that to remain, and they want us to continue to respect that, so that’s one of the things that we will continue to work with staff through.”
Ms Stephen-Smith emphasised that the current public hospital building would continue to operate while the new northside hospital was being built, but wiggle room was needed for future expansion.
“[The new hospital] will require the demolition of some buildings, but not the main hospital buildings or the clinical services, in the same way that we’ve delivered the Critical Services Building at Canberra Hospital,” she said.
“But we’ve also said we need expansion space, and that’s why the less than four hectares that Calvary had indicated they would be willing to transfer to the ACT Government was not considered to be enough for the development of the new northside hospital, as we knew we were going to need it for the next 20, 30 and 50 years into the future.”
The Northside Hospital Transition Team met with Calvary’s transition lead and executive on Tuesday (13 June) to start working through the transition plan.
It’s hoped the plan will be fully agreed to and finalised by the end of the week.
However, Ms Stephen-Smith said the final plan would remain a “live document” which could be updated if other issues or efficiencies were identified.
“A lot of the details will depend on what Calvary is willing and able to share with Canberra Health Services,” she said.
“So, for example, if they give their payroll provider authority to provide the wide range of details about the staff to Canberra Health Services, to enable their payroll provider to come on board as part of the transition … that’s going to save a lot of time and effort through this transition process.”
About 10 per cent of current Calvary Public Hospital Bruce staff have filled in the voluntary transition form to prepare them to receive an offer of employment from Canberra Health Services.
Ms Stephen-Smith said they hadn’t expected many people to fill it out while the acquisition legislation was passed through the Legislative Assembly or Calvary Health Care’s legal challenge was looming, but encouraged staff to fill it now out so background work for their transition can be completed.
“We do have a surge workforce … working to support that process, but obviously, the more people who complete the form earlier, the easier that is going to be,” she said.
“For the moment, their hospital’s not going to change, the services they deliver are not going to change, their teams not going to change, their pay and conditions are not going to change, and they will continue doing the work that they love in a public hospital,” she said.
Letters of offer were being sent to staff as of Wednesday (14 June).
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