THERE are plans, and there are plans – but for any organisation to get significant government funding these days, there must be a masterplan.

And that’s exactly what Heywood Rural Health is in the process of doing.

It has engaged consultants Billard Leece to develop a masterplan for its Barclay St site.

HRH chief executive Leigh Parker said the plan would guide development at the site for up to the next 25 years.

“At the moment there’s nothing guiding us in terms of a strategy document around where to build things,” he said.

“Whilst we have a strategic plan we also need something that’s going to inform the organisation and the board around where to grow and develop.

“It became clear it was a document we needed to have to guide us but also to have to help us is any funding submissions we might put to government.

“It’s exciting, we don’t have a masterplan and it does inhibit us to when we think about how we grow and develop.

“Essentially we don’t know where we should be building something and we might build it in the wrong spot or impact on developing things down the track because we’ve got things in the wrong spot.”

As part of the process in producing a masterplan, HRH needs to consult with a wide range of people and organisations.

Key ones include staff, residents, the adjacent Heywood Men’s Shed and others close by including Ambulance Victoria and Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation, as well as the Heywood community at large.

Mr Parker said HRH was doing that in two ways – via a survey that anyone interested can complete online (the HRH website and Facebook page will have details) or on paper (contact HRH directly and it will be emailed or posted out) and also a targeted face-to-face session with invited participants on Wednesday, November 9.

While that second session was by invitation “there might be another opportunity post the collation of the results to have further consultation”, Mr Parker said.

“We’ve been working on the masterplan since September and are working towards having it potentially finalised and adopted by the board by the end of this year,” he said.

● Meanwhile Mr Parker said he welcomed the $811,000 in regional health infrastructure fund money HRH has received (story in Tuesday’s Observer).

The money will go towards upgrading and replacing electrical switchboard and distribution boards as well as doing the same with fire detection and suppression systems such as panels, sprinklers and occupant warning systems.

“We were fortunate both our submissions were successful and they were based on upgrading existing infrastructure that had been deemed near to past end-of-life,” Mr Parker said.

“We’re grateful to the government and (Health Department) for continuing to invest in the infrastructure at Heywood Rural Health.”