In a "ground-breaking" development for the region's veterans and first responders, one of the city's iconic buildings will transform into a health and wellness centre.
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Wagga's Carmelite Monastery closed in November last year after 53 years, but after months of discussions it will soon become home to the Pro Patria Centre Wagga.
Meaning "for one's country", the project will give back to those who put themselves on the frontline, whether at home or abroad.
Jason Frost, president of the Wagga Defence Shed, said it was exciting to see the work of the last few months culminating in the official handover.
"We came across the monastery when we were looking for a permanent location for the shed," he said.
"Having a noisy workshop in a place like this was not ideal, but the idea of having a wellness centre built was thrown around, and this is the perfect spot.
"We had identified a need in the community for this, so it was a no-brainer when the opportunity presented itself."
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Mr Frost said that the Department of Veterans' Affairs has between 1200 to 1500 members on the books in the region.
But, he added, there are many more who have not gone into the system.
"DVA funded $30 million for centres all around Australia, but unfortunately, the one that is closest to us is Nowra," he said.
"Wagga, being a regional hub, supports other areas, so having something like this will put us at the forefront of these services.
"At the moment, there are a lot of barriers to getting access to services, so this will really help streamline that process."
Mr Frost added that it would be a medical clinic and also look to offer a full range of therapies such as hyperbaric oxygen chambers, psychotherapy and medicinal cannabis.
"We want to have a mix of the conventional and ground-breaking services here at the centre, especially ones that are not available in the region," he said.
When it comes to the full scope of what Pro Patria can offer, the "possibilities are endless", Mr Frost said.
One day, he added, emergency accommodation may also be added to the service centre's offerings.
"There could be the possibility of having fly-in-fly-out patients where they could be accommodated here," Mr Frost said.
"That is what we are going to be working out over the next few months - how far we can push the bracket and how many services we can provide. The only limit to this centre is our ability to use our imagination.
Mr Frost also said that whatever the future of Pro Patria, it will always pay homage to the property's rich history as the Carmelite Monastery.
One venture of the centre will be looking at providing access to services including those who can refer onto medicinal cannabis options such as CA Clinics.
The medical director Mark Hardy said regional areas were in need of places such as Pro Patria to link health services to those who need them.
The only limit to this centre is our ability to use our imagination.
- Jason Frost
He added there need to be treatments for both physical and mental conditions as a result of their time in service.
Dr Hardy works with veterans who have suffered physical injuries, whether by being in the line of fire or from repetitive and high-strain duties.
"Chronic pain is a blight to anyone, but particularly to these soldiers who return and whose bodies have aged earlier than they normally might," he said.
"Some treatments include traditional ones, but our particular interest has been within the medicinal cannabis space.
"Wagga seems to have become a focus group of veterans who have accessed treatment with us, and for the most part, we have seen some really great results."
Dr Hardy said regionally-placed veterans had shown a strong interest in accessing these services.
He added, they are particularly keen to focus on these areas due to fewer services.
"Pro Patria is a fantastic initiative that has the potential to do a lot of good not just for veterans but for the wider community," Dr Hardy said.