NSW Health Infrastructure project director Amanda Bock confirmed they are planning on salvaging parts of the building to give back to the community, as per a request made by Save Griffith Nurses’ Quarters Sherene Blumer. 

“There has been a request quite early on from Mrs Blumer to salvage a bunch of materials. We did say yes, we’d assist with that,” she said. 

Ms Bock says some materials  – including doors, floors, mantlepieces, bricks – and would be salvaged, others would be “weighed up against the cost”.

She confirmed NSW Health was still assessing its options with regard to how parts will be donated to the community.

“Despite a campaign from a passionate group of community members, the NSW Department of Health announced recently it would “proceed with demolition in order to achieve the best outcome for local patients”.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Member for Murray Austin Evans had previously paused demolition works, asking the community for alternatives – but said the building was “financially unviable”.

Mrs Blumer says she asked the items be salvaged, as a last resort for her campaign, to be able to retain a little history. 

“I asked for parts to be salvaged as a last resort. I have been the president of Neighbourhood House, so I figured than lose things from our community, I’d like to have some elements of what we used to have,” she said. 

Her proposal included a way for parts of the building to be salvaged if it were to go. 

“The best way to have those would be to put them into our new community centre. It could help lower the cost of the building and portray to the public what we used to have.”

After the removal of asbestos, Ms Bock estimated the building’s demolition will begin in around a month. 

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Despite the decision to move ahead with demolition, Mrs Blumer says she hasn’t stopped fighting. She and the group maintain the building is a site of “historical and cultural significance” for the Griffith community. 

“I’m still pursuing different avenues. I don’t believe the building should be demolished,” she said. 

“The main thing we’ve asked is that we have public consultation, we want to have a public meeting.”

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