Hobart councillors will tonight decide whether to waive just over $45,000 in planning fees for a new cancer wellness centre being pursued by a not-for-profit group.
The S.H.E Gynaecological Cancer Group is asking the council to waive the fees for its project to convert the historic Theatre Royal Hotel on Campbell Street into a wellness centre supporting cancer patients across Tasmania.
The project holds deep personal meaning for S.H.E chair Scott Harris, whose wife Jo passed away in 2023 after being diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.
“The experiences and cancer journey of the Harris family underscored significant gaps in the Tasmanian healthcare system regarding holistic, integrated psychosocial care, particularly in education, health system navigation and accommodation,” the council report states.
“The overarching goal for the centre is to enhance the cancer experience and quality of care for Tasmanian cancer patients and their families through a complementary and independently operated model of care.”
The centre is proposed to provide wellness services, allied health support and accommodation for patients and their families.
S.H.E has already secured $10 million in state government funding towards the estimated $21 million renovation, with more philanthropic donations expected to help cover the remaining costs.
The University of Tasmania, which holds the lease on the building, is backing the project through a memorandum of understanding with the Crown and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
The proposed fee waiver would cover a $44,881 planning application fee plus $475 in advertising costs.
Council officers have recommended the waiver be approved, with the final decision to be made by councillors tonight.
“Given this is development would be carried out by a not-for-profit organisation and paid for in part by donations from the community, the proposal is supported,” the report says.
