The $2.3 million building project on the Naracoorte hospital grounds was meant to start in early January but has been held back as land arrangements are yet to be finalised.

Despite the deal being done, a builder being secured, and negotiations on the land and a significant Federal grant successful, the building has not been able to go ahead because of land arrangements concerning Crown land.

These arrangements come under the folio of the Environment Minister, Paul Caica.

Member for MacKillop Mitch Williams has spoken to Mr Caica and it has been resolved that the delay has been caused by a hold-up between the health department and crown solicitors.

A submission to the State Government is now expected to be made on the land.

Medical clinic partner Dr Jeff Taylor is pleased that progress has been made, but wonders why there was such a delay which has seen building progress held back two months.

“You wonder why it has taken so long,” he said.

“It has been frustrating for everyone, for us and the builder, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Dr Taylor said the issue was “getting bogged down in bureaucracy”.

It is hoped that the land arrangements will be finalised within three weeks and building able to be start, with the new medical clinic to be up and running around October.

“It is just a guess at this time, we’ll know more when we meet with the builder and things get underway,” Dr Taylor said about the October timeframe.

The new medical centre cannot come soon enough as the town prepares to welcome two new practitioners.

“We have two new doctors coming in soon and the embarrassing thing is that we’d have new doctors but nowhere to house them,” Dr Taylor said.