Peter Malinauskas thought ‘oh s--t, we have a fight on our hands’ when police barracks named as future WCH site

Premier Peter Malinauskas has told the ALP state convention what he really thought when clinicians told him the Thebarton Police Barracks was the best site for a new hospital.

WHEN the controversial location of the new $3.2bn Women’s & Children’s Hospital was proposed by clinicians, Premier Peter Malinauskas thought “Oh sh-t”.

In opening the ALP state convention on Saturday, Mr Malinauskas told attendees of his reaction when told the hospital was best suited at the Thebarton Police Barrack site.

“I thought ‘Oh sh-t, we have a fight on our hands’, but we made the decision,” he said.

Mr Malinauskas said they pressed ahead with the location based on what was “right by the people of our state in the long term and to back-in the clinical advice”.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: David Mariuz

New artist impressions of the Women's and Children's hospital (WCH). Picture: SA Government

“Since we’ve made the announcement, overwhelmingly, I think, the people of South Australia have said ‘that’s exactly what we elected you to do’,” he said. He explained Labor’s promise of 50 extra beds could have been added to the previous Liberal plan of having the hospital next door to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, but clinicians warned neither hospital would be able to expand in the future.

Hundreds of state and federal MPs, along with members of the SA Labor executive and delegates converged at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was absent from the meeting, with Mr Malinauskas telling reporters he had foreign affairs commitments.

He also reiterated outside of the conference the proposed WCH location was the right place for the hospital, despite there being “a degree of controversy”.

“My determination was that it was the right thing to do in the long term interests of South Australians and their healthcare,” he said.

The new hospital location has raised the ire of parklands and heritage campaigners, with the state-heritage barracks to be demolished along with 10 police buildings.

There were fears it could also jeopardise the parklands’ national heritage listing, if it went ahead.

The police barracks will have to be demolished to make way for the new Women's and Children's Hospital. Picture: Dean Martin