Adelaide Lord Mayoral candidate Rex Patrick wants inquiry into Women’s and Children’s Hospital

There are calls for the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital plan to be rigorously scrutinised by a parliamentary inquiry.

The plan to build the Women’s and Children’s Hospital on a city heritage site must be rigorously scrutinised by a parliamentary inquiry, a lord mayoral candidate says.

And Rex Patrick’s call for the probe into the State Government’s decision to build the $3.2bn WCH on the Thebarton Police Barracks site, is already garnering support.

Greens MLC Robert Simms and Opposition Leader David Speirs said they were open to an inquiry given concerns about the project’s timeline and impact on heritage and parklands.

Health Minister Chris Picton said the proposal had been widely supported by clinicians and the development would be scrutinised by the parliament’s public works committee.

Artist impression showing the front of the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide. Picture: SA Government

However, Mr Patrick said an inquiry would look beyond the “promotional material” and put the project’s cost, delivery, parkland and heritage issues “under the microscope”.

He said it was integral Adelaide City Council was involved in the process after not being consulted.

“If elected, I will ensure the council was fully engaged with any parliamentary inquiry, both making submissions and assisting in the examination of the full range of planning and heritage considerations involved in this decision,” he said.

Mr Speirs said an inquiry would help “dissect the rushed and secretive decision-making process” that saw nWCH relocated and its cost blowout by $1.2bn.

“There is also a need to better understand Peter Malinauskas’ huge decision to delay this project by five years to build 50 extra beds,” he said.

Lord Mayoral candidate Rex Patrick. Picture: NCA Newswire/ Andrew Taylor

Premier Peter Malinaukas at a press conference to announce new plans for the Women's and Children's Hospital location last month. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Emma Brasier

Mr Simms said the Greens support a new hospital, but an inquiry was a “sensible” suggestion as they had concerns on the site selection and implications for heritage and parklands.

The government plans to introduce special legislation to expedite construction by avoiding the planning process, which Mr Picton said would also allow for debate in parliament.

It comes after Premier Peter Malinauskas said minority opinions were drowning out the silent majority in favour of projects to benefit the state, including the WCH.

Mayoral candidate and former Labor politician Jane Lomax-Smith said it was “somewhat cute to suggest there was only minority support for the parklands”.

“The core issue is the parklands is unique, it is national heritage listed and in line for World Heritage listing and as a community we should be mature enough to protect heritage and open space,” Dr Lomax-Smith said. She said she would participate in an inquiry but “they rarely change the outcomes of these debates”.

Fellow candidate Sandy Verschoor said the proposed site was also in breach of the government’s own parkland and heritage acts and it shouldn’t be an “either or decision”.

“I’ve been in favour of a stand alone paediatric hospital in North Adelaide and a smaller women’s unit on the Royal Adelaide Hospital - it’s done in every other state,” she said.

Ms Verschoor said it was up to the parliament if they wanted to establish an inquiry.