New Royal Adelaide Hospital cost could blow out further before 2016 opening, Opposition claims

THE Opposition claims there could be further cost blowouts for South Australian taxpayers before the new Royal Adelaide Hospital opens next year.

THE Opposition claims there could be further cost blowouts for South Australian taxpayers before the new Royal Adelaide Hospital opens next year.

The $2.3 billion hospital, which is set to be opened in November 2016, has already ballooned millions of dollars above its initial $1.7 billion costing.

State Parliament’s Budget and Finance Committee yesterday heard from NRAH builder SA Health Partnership’s chief executive officer Duncan Jewell.

At the meeting, Mr Jewell said he believed up to 20 per cent of the hospital site had not been remediated.

Any additional remediation costs would add to the $68.6 million the State Government agreed to pay the consortium to settle disputes over contaminated soil and building delays.

The State Government could also be forced to fork out for modification of the hospital if there is a delay in the rollout of the highly controversial $422 million Enterprise Patient Administration System (EPAS).

Mr Jewell said the new hospital did not currently house space for paper records but said the builders could make modifications to include storage for a “reasonably modest cost”.

“(We) will be able to provide options (for the records to be stored) in the basement or commercial areas,” he said.

After the meeting, Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade said there was “a series of undefined costs”.

“They (the builders) said that they still need to assess remediation that is required under the site offices (at the RAH site,” he said.

“That’s 20 per cent of the site.”

“The public hasn’t been advised they (the State Government) hadn’t finished the remediation task.

“Now we’re finding there is further soil remediation arising, there are issues with EPAS ... it’s on ongoing saga with cost blowout on top of cost blowout in relation to this project.”

The Advertiser is seeking comment from the State Government.