Plans unveiled for mega Kingaroy health hub
A mega health hub that will generate hundreds of jobs, inject millions of dollars into the local economy and open up multiple health career pathways will include a new hospital and aged care facility in Kingaroy.
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Construction will begin on a new $130million health hub in Kingaroy in early 2024, and will include state of the art facilities and services.
Nanango LNP MP Deb Frecklington said the hub would “change the health services landscape in the South Burnett”.
The Lady Bjelke-Petersen Health Hub was announced on Thursday by South Burnett Community Hospital Foundation chair Wayne Kratzmann.
It will be built around the existing Lady Bjelke-Petersen Community Hospital on the corner of Markwell and Glendon Sts in Kingaroy and include a new community hospital, and a residential care facility including aged care accommodation and one-bedroom independent accommodation for those requiring NDIS specialist disability accommodation.
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South Burnett Radiology will relocate into the new facility and will offer the region’s first MRI services and operate three theatres as well as a dedicated oncology/dialysis unit.
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The hub will also provide on-site childcare and staff accommodation in its second development stage and a multi-level carpark in its final stage, with additional parking spaces for about 200 vehicles.
“This is a transformative project aimed at addressing critical infrastructure limitations for the local and broader regional community,” Mr Kratzmann said.
“This project will act as catalyst to attract and supply better healthcare across the catchment and surrounding areas.
“The development will be able to support growing demand in the area, improve liveability for residents and help make rural medical services more sustainable,” he said.
Mrs Frecklington said it was exciting to see the project finally come to fruition.
“The announcement of the new Lady Bjelke-Petersen Health Hub is such welcome news … there is no doubt this amazing new facility will entirely change the health services landscape in the South Burnett,” she said.
The investment is expected to provide additional training opportunities for construction trainees and those who wish to enter the medical workforce.
Diploma of nursing, aged care and first aid courses are also expected to be offered to the local community with practical experience on site.
The facility will be supported through a new telehealth system supplemented with planned triage and student clinics in surrounding areas and will enable the delivery of pre and post-operative care as well as better localised access, reducing the need for travel outside the region to access specialist medical services.
The completed facility will incorporate some unique elements including large rooftop garden spaces, over 300 sqm of internal garden and walking areas.
The rooftop and garden areas will act as a water capture system to feed onsite storage to supplement water supplies and solar energy will be used to power the shared community spaces.
Upon completion of stage one, the existing buildings will be demolished to make room for stages two and three.
Modelling prepared by the AEC Group predicts the development will provide an initial construction driven stimulus for the regional economy of $156.4milliion.
The same modelling predicts that once operations mature, the project will provide additional annual stimulus to the regional economy of $67.6million and increase employment by over 420 full-time positions.
After the expected approval in January 2024, construction is set to commence later in the same year.
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