Vital deadline extension for Wagga's Pro Patria centre for veterans, first responders as works get go ahead

The centre, which operates at a former Carmelite monastery in Ashmont, had been facing a looming deadline to raise $1.5 million by the end of March.

However, Pro Patria Trust chair Gordon Saggers confirmed yesterday that has now been pushed back.

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A mutual agreement has been reached with the Carmelite nuns and the trust is now preparing for the new deadline.

"We're now looking forward to taking over the property on August 31," Mr Saggers said.

Meanwhile, he said the fundraising efforts are looking good. "We're now well over halfway," he said. "We have quite a few businesses and foundations considering giving tax deductible donations before the end of this financial year."

This week Wagga City Council awarded a construction certificate to Pro Patria to begin stage two of renovations as it prepares to accommodate more medical facilities on site.

"Through the generosity of a lot of the service clubs we [now] have the finances to complete those [works]," Mr Saggers said.

The project will add a further six rooms for health and medical services and could take up to six months to complete once works commence.

"Hopefully that will begin soon because we are looking for more treatment rooms to house some of the people [offering services at] the centre," Mr Saggers said.

Following the completion of its first major round of renovations late last year, the Pro Patria Centre welcomed its first GP James Read to conduct services at the premises.

When complete, Pro Patria's Jason Frost said the centre will offer a wide range of services, with plans to also eventually house a hyperbaric chamber on site for treatment of veterans.

"The room for hyperbaric medicine has already been cleared and we're now just raising funds for the room," Mr Frost said.

"Our [resident] GP has already started to do his training for that."

Mr Frost said with four rooms already being utilised for services at the moment, the new round of renovations will be a big help given the high demand from the community.

"We're still limited in being able to take on a lot of people until we have those other rooms open up," he said.

"In the meantime, we've got a bunch of volunteers running the organisation bringing the medical services while we're trying to raise funds to pay off the property with a community that needs medical support.

"Times are always challenging, but that's what keeps it going because the need is well and truly there."

The Pro Patria Centre is an innovative multidisciplinary facility focused on developing self-agency in veterans, first responders and their families to manage their own wellbeing.

To donate to the Pro Patria building fund, visit www.propatriatrust.org/make-a-donation.

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