No funding in federal budget for Redland Hospital expansion

A bayside hospital named as having the state’s worst ambulance ramping figures is one of the losers in this year’s federal budget, with its long-awaited expansion having now been shelved.

Redland Hospital’s expansion plans have been shelved after there was no funding in the federal government’s budget for the next financial year. Picture: Judith Kerr

A bayside hospital, which recorded the worst ambulance ramping figures in Queensland last year, failed to get funding in this week’s federal budget for a stage two expansion.

Budget papers showed there was no money allocated in the next financial year or in future years for Redland Hospital’s stage two expansion, publicised as a major clinical upgrade.

The stage two expansion was originally designed to complement a new six-bed Intensive Care Unit, which had also faced delays and was now scheduled to open in 2024.

Last month a leaked email from Metro South Health chief finance officer Robert Mackway-Jones showed the state government had shelved the major clinical upgrade.

In April, the state completed a new paid multi-level car park at the hospital on Weippin St, Cleveland, but the ICU ward and hospital expansions were delayed.

Plans for the Stage two expansion released in 2020. Picture: Supplied

Federal MP Henry Pike, whose Bowman electorate takes in the hospital, said the lack of funding in the federal budget followed the state’s decision to withdraw planning commitments for the Stage two upgrades.

He said the success of the new ICU ward depended on the next stage of expansion works.

“The hospital needs the expansion to attract the doctors and medical experts to run the new ICU ward,” he said.

“Without the stage two expansion there is no point in having stage one.

“I am happy to work with the state government to push for more federal funding to get stage two off the ground.

“But the federal government will not approve funding for any proposal without a proper business case and a set of designs.

“The state government has already spent $6 million on the business case, which was supposed to be completed by the middle of the year, but then it shelved the project and we have not seen any details.”

Capalaba MP Don Brown. Picture: Tertius Pickard

State MP Don Brown, who took the unusual step of calling out Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath in 2022 over the delays in Redland Hospital building projects, said other incentives in the budget would help Redland Hospital.

“There was massive investment in Medicare and aged care which will take much needed pressure off Redland hospitals,” he said.

“More people will be able to see a GP for free instead of going to Redlands ED (emergency department).

“Under a decade of the LNP government, they smashed Medicare by freezing bulk billing rates and seeing bulk billing rates reach record lows.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tweeted the plans in 2020. Picture: Supplied

Other projects in the Redlands which failed to get funding in this week’s federal budget included a much-anticipated upgrade to the harbour at Dunwich on Minjerribah, North Stradbroke Island.

Under last year’s Southeast Queensland (SEQ) City Deal, signed by federal, state and local governments, $41 million was earmarked for the upgrade which would open the way for a cruise ship terminal and a passenger boat connection to Brisbane’s CBD.

Specific funding allocations under the City Deal were not mentioned in the budget, apart from one reference for the Green Bridge at Kangaroo Point.

A proposed Head to Health mental health centre at Redland Bay also missed out on funding, but Australian Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed the government would honour a $3.4 million deal for the project in the future.

The future of a $500,000 expansion project for the Centre for Women & Co, a new $1.5 million Macleay Island Arts Complex and $670,000 of promises for Redland sporting clubs were also missing from budget papers along with a $1.9 million upgrade at the Yulu-Burri-Ba Clinic at Dunwich.