Cancer Council SA marks building milestone as final floor slab is poured

The home for all South Australians impacted by cancer is one step closer to being completed, with the final slab of Cancer Council SA’s new, integrated cancer building poured this week.

The building, located at 202 Greenhill Road, is on track to be completed in August this year and will give every South Australian every chance to survive a cancer diagnosis.

Combining cancer research, prevention and support alongside 120 rooms of supportive accommodation for regional and remote South Australians travelling to Adelaide for cancer treatment, the building will be the first of its kind in the state.

Cancer Council SA Chief Executive Kerry Rowlands said that the topping out marked an important milestone in the building’s progress.

“This milestone gets us one step closer to creating a home away from home for every South Australian impacted by cancer,” she said.

“Through providing state of the art accommodation alongside our full range of services and supports, all under one roof, we are ensuring that not only regional South Australians, but all South Australians impacted by cancer, have every chance to survive their diagnosis,” she said.

Dee Carmody from Mount Gambier says the building will be “a god send” to regional South Australians who need it most.

Dee and her son Scott stayed at Cancer Council SA’s lodges at Greenhill Road when Scott was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2017. Even though they had family to stay with in Adelaide, they chose to spend every second weekend at Greenhill Lodge.

“Scott needed to be around someone who knew what he was going through. They’d thought of everything, it really is amazing what they do there. So many Mount Gambier people rely on the lodges for support. I don’t know what we would have done without it,” said Dee.

Cancer Council SA’s new, integrated cancer building is a $30 million project that is supported by a $10 million grant from the State Government. Building commenced in January 2021.

For more information, to follow the buildings progress, or to donate to show your support, visit the project website at 202greenhill.com.au.

Notes to editor:

Centrally located at the old Cancer Council site on 202 Greenhill Road, the purpose-built facility will be the states home for all South Australians impacted by cancer, giving every South Australian every chance to survive a cancer diagnosis. The building will include:

• 120 rooms of supportive accommodation for regional South Australians travelling to Adelaide for cancer treatment, designed to accommodate people with a variety of cancer needs and disability access options.
• Cancer Council’s SA’s Information and Support Services, including Cancer Council
  13 11 20, to support South Australians across every stage of their cancer experience.
• A supportive and welcoming place for all South Australians impacted by cancer to access free counselling from trained professionals.
• Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by empowering them to cut their cancer risk through targeted prevention programs.
• Cancer Council SA’s evidence-based prevention programs and strategies to empower South Australians to cut their cancer risk.
• A supportive and energising environment to enable Cancer Council SA to speak out on behalf of the community on cancer issues.
• Cancer Council SA’s Behavioural Research Team, which leads applied cancer research and evaluation, while also overseeing the management of Cancer Council’s Beat Cancer Project.

Note: Throughout the construction period, Cancer Council SA’s existing lodges at Flinders and Greenhill Road will remain operational to ensure that regional and remote South Australians have somewhere to stay while in Adelaide for cancer treatment.