A well-known community health hub in the heart of Canberra will remain closed for several more weeks after asbestos was discovered during routine maintenance work — leaving thousands of residents needing to find alternative arrangements for essential health services.
What happened
The City Health Centre, located on the corner of Alinga Street and Moore Street in Canberra’s city centre, was first shut down on 1 July after testing confirmed the presence of asbestos-containing materials in the building’s plant room. The discovery was made during routine maintenance checks, and under ACT work health and safety laws, any materials suspected of containing asbestos must be assessed and removed by licensed specialists before normal operations can resume.
Initially expected to reopen within days, the closure has since been extended multiple times as further investigation revealed the scope of the issue was larger than first thought. According to the Canberra Times, Infrastructure Canberra has now advised that the site is unlikely to reopen before 7 August, pending additional testing, monitoring, and remediation work.
Which services are affected
The City Health Centre houses a number of services that many Canberrans rely on regularly, including:
- The MSI Canberra Abortion and Contraception Clinic
- BreastScreen ACT
- The CanTEST pill testing service
- The Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN)
All patient appointments originally scheduled at the centre have been, or are in the process of being, rescheduled. Authorities have confirmed that anyone affected should have received — or will soon receive — updated information on where and when they can access these services in the interim.
What we know about the safety risk
Ongoing monitoring has cleared several busy areas across multiple floors of the building, even while the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems remain operational. However, full clearance across the entire site is still pending, and authorities are taking a cautious, methodical approach before allowing services to resume.
The building itself dates back to the 1970s, constructed originally for the ACT Health Service before self-government — a period when asbestos was still widely used in building materials across Australia. This isn’t the first time older public buildings in Canberra have faced similar issues, and it’s a reminder of the ongoing challenges of maintaining ageing infrastructure that houses critical services.
Why this matters for the community
Extended closures like this highlight just how important it is for Canberrans to know where else they can turn for health support when their usual services are disrupted. For people who depend on regular screenings, reproductive health services, or harm-reduction programs like pill testing, even a temporary closure can mean delays that affect health outcomes and peace of mind.
It’s also a timely reminder of the value of having accessible, well-communicated alternative pathways to care — particularly for people with additional support needs, who may find navigating last-minute changes to appointments and locations more difficult.
What to do if you had an appointment at the City Health Centre
If you had a booking affected by this closure, the ACT government has advised checking the Canberra Health Services website for the latest updates, or contacting the relevant service directly to confirm your new appointment details.
You may also like
Women’s Health Matters Continues Multilingual Health Program Across the ACT