Funds allocated to acquire preferred site for proposed new hospital

The detailed business case for a new hospital in Bundaberg is ‘nearing completion’ as funds have been allocated for the purchase of the preferred site.

This year’s State Government budget yielded funds for both the current Bundaberg Hospital and the proposed new facility.

As part of the recent budget announcement, $2.7m was allocated this financial year for ongoing maintenance work to sustain facilities at the existing hospital site.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service board chair Peta Jamieson said this included the replacement of a “chiller” along with heating, ventilation, and airconditioning upgrade works.

She said this investment would allow the hospital to continue to deliver services as safely as possible.

As for the $6.7m detailed business case investigating the delivery of a new state-of-the-art public hospital on a new site in Bundaberg, Ms Jamieson said it was “nearing completion”.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Board Chair Peta Jamieson.

“In recent months, comprehensive analysis of the social, economic, sustainability and financial impacts of the proposed hospital have occurred, along with peer reviews and business case drafting,” she said.

“The completed business case will progress through a formal review process before being presented to the Queensland Government for consideration, helping it to make informed decisions about the future design, staging and funding of the project.

“In the meantime, a further $15 million is identified in the Queensland Budget papers ‘for the purchase of the preferred site for the proposed Bundaberg Hospital Redevelopment and associated project costs to enable detailed site planning in preparation for the first stage of the project’.”

She said the preferred site for the proposed new hospital was currently unallocated government owned land under the trusteeship of the Department of Resources.

“The additional funding will enable Queensland Health to formally acquire the site in accordance with the Queensland Government Land Transaction Policy,” Ms Jamieson said.

“It will also allow Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service to progress its investigations and undertake further consultation to confirm the most appropriate development assessment pathway.

“Infrastructure required for the benefit of the community may be facilitated through a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation process, which provides a streamlined, considered whole-of-government response to a proposed development.”

The concept designs for the proposed new hospital were released during the community consultation period, which saw hundreds of community members and staff across the WBHHS region complete the survey or provide feedback about the concept design or project in writing.

For more information on the Bundaberg Hospital Redevelopment Project, click here.