Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)

The Penneshaw Community Health Rooms once housed Medical, Community Nursing and Allied Health Services on a weekly basis. With budget restraints by SA Health, these services were discontinued in Penneshaw and centralised in Kingscote, meaning a round trip of approximately 120 km for local residents needing to access services.

Over a number of years, the Penneshaw CWA had advocated the need for the provision of a doctor for the Penneshaw area, liaising with the Kangaroo Island Medical Clinic, Rural Doctors Association of South Australia, Kangaroo Island Health Service, and Kangaroo Island Council. In 2021, the CWA was able to secure the services of a General Practitioner who began consulting one day a week in September 2021.

The Penneshaw CWA, Penneshaw Progress Association (PPA) and Community Volunteers have worked to clean, paint and refurbish the building so that services can be reinstated.

The Penneshaw CWA, with the support of the Penneshaw Progress Association (PPA), was successful in their application for a $5,000 grant through the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants program, with a further $1,000 generously donated by the Penneshaw CFS in support of the facilities.  The grant money was used to provide air-conditioning for the clinic’s consulting room and to provide disability access to the toilet, with a high-rise mobility toilet and grab rails. These improvements now meet the standards and guidelines required by the Commonwealth Disability Access Legislation, and provide comfort for the diverse number of users of the clinic.