LNP Government commits to more beds, carpark, helipad for hospital

The arrival of 128 extra beds for Mackay Base Hospital has been blown out by more than 12 months as an damning independent review found the expansion project would cost more than double its original budget.

The LNP Government has announced Mackay Base Hospital will receive 128 new overnight beds, a multi-storey carpark and a new helipad. Photo: Contributed

The arrival of 128 extra beds for Mackay Base Hospital has been blown out by more than 12 months as a damning independent review found the $250m expansion project was underfunded by more than $270m.

The Sangster review, spearheaded by infrastructure specialist Sam Sangster, found the project was “undeliverable” in its current state with the forecast cost “more than double” the original budget.

But the LNP Government has confirmed it would commit to the upgrade which will include a multi-storey carpark and new helipad as well as the additional overnight beds, despite it now priced at $520m.

Labor originally announced the expansion in the 2022-23 budget, with completion slated for 2026-27. Then in January 2024, then health minister Yvette D’Ath said the extra 128 beds would be delivered by the second half of 2026.

However the Sangster review commissioned in December found the project needed to be retendered or renegotiated, blowing out its expected completion date to March 2028.

Mr Sangster has found there were multiple site planning issues including the discovery of cultural heritage artefacts and asbestos in the soil.

Construction was still underway for the expansion of the Mackay Base Hospital after an independent report saw major cost blowouts to the project. Photo: Luke Lay

He deemed the initial project plan “undeliverable in its present combination of scope, program and cost forecast”.

“The review cannot readily identify any clear pathway to resolve the stakeholder, site preparation, project scope and clinical safety issues with the time and cost pressures of progressing with the existing … contract,” he found.

At a media conference on Thursday, Mackay MP Nigel Dalton said part of the delay involved the possibility of finding hundreds of missing South Sea Islander bodies buried on the site of the hospital.

Mr Dalton said nothing had been found yet and the delay was because an assessment of the area was still ongoing.

Mr Dalton was unable to give a firm start date for construction but said it could be the end of the year.

He said the new cost did not change any of the original plans including the current contractor.

MP Glen Kelly and MP Nigel Dalton announce their plans to deliver the 128 beds to Mackay Base Hospital. Photo: Luke Lay

“They (Labor) didn’t budget for it. That’s what’s changing,” he said.

“There is no timescale yet. Obviously the construction of the carpark will be something which will be delivered properly.”

Labor did not reject the findings that covered 15 different hospital projects, arguing the need to get beds online “as quickly as possible” after the Covid pandemic was more important than thorough planning.

Opposition health spokesman Mark Bailey said Mr Sangster’s criticisms of Labor’s rushed planning was “his opinion” and said Labor made no apologies for its “laser focus” on alleviating pressures on hospitals.

“So we needed to start building more beds as quickly as we possibly can … in a hot market where there’s a lot of construction under way.

“The choice then was to not expand our hospital and health system, and that was unacceptable to us,” he said.

He demanded the government release the draft Sangster report, accusing Premier David Crisafulli of politicising the review to his advantage ahead of the budget.

Asked why market conditions were ignored to issue quick contracts, Mr Bailey said it was “was necessary to get the work done as quickly as we can”.

Health and Ambulance Services Minister Tim Nicholls rejected that the government had broken a key election promise to deliver 2200 beds by 2028.

He said the government “inherited a program in crisis that was poorly planned, missing critical services, had major delays and was wildly underfunded”.

The Crisafulli government has committed to ensuring improved surgical, maternity, neonatal and pediatric services at the hospital as part of its ‘Hospital Rescue Plan’.

Mackay MP Nigel Dalton is backing the LNP government’s health plan, describing it as a ‘huge win for the region’.

“This is a huge win for our region. There has been a clear and growing need in Mackay for more beds and improved hospital services, and this plan delivers exactly that,” Mr Dalton said.

“These upgrades will ease pressure on our hardworking doctors and nurses, reduce wait times for patients, and ensure families across Mackay can access the care they need, closer to home.”

Mirani MP Glen Kelly said as more and more people moved to this area there would be a larger demand on the hospital system and the government needed to make sure the hospital had the capacity to help manage it.

“Having more car parking available for families visiting loved ones will help ease the burden during what is often a challenging time,” he said.