Dunmore chosen as location for brand new Shellharbour Hospital

The NSW Government has revealed the location of the site chosen for the brand new Shellharbour Hospital development.

The site of the new $700 million Shellharbour Hospital redevelopment has today been announced.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazard visited the Illawarra on Thursday, where he announced the new hospital would be constructed on a greenfield site on Dunmore Road, Dunmore.

On Thursday, Mr Hazard said he hoped the Hospital would be up and running by 2027, with health infrastructure finalising the acquisition of the land.

Along with the new state-of-the-art hospital, plans to expand bed capacity and services at Bulli and Wollongong and build a new community health facility at Warrawong were also announced.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazard visited the Illawarra on Thursday, where he announced the location of the new hospital.

“This fantastic greenfield site is well connected to the road and rail transport network so the hospital will be accessible to the whole community,” Mr Hazzard said.

“The site also provides space for the hospital to expand in the future so it can continue to meet the healthcare needs of the growing Illawarra community.

Mr Hazzard said the changes would lead to the staged closure of the 65-year-old Port Kembla Hospital, a move backed by Shellharbour MP Anna Watson, who described the facility as “dilapidated”.

While Mr Hazzard couldn’t answer questions about how many new hospital jobs would become available when the hospital is eventually opened, however NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian last September said 2800 jobs would be created in the construction of the hospital, which will look to use local materials and supply chains “as much as possible”.

As part of the project, NSW Health will expand its services at Bulli Hospital and add palliative care and rehabilitation beds at Wollongong Hospital while the new Shellharbour Hospital is being built. A new community health facility will also be built at Warrawong.

“This redevelopment will take us into the regeneration of health services in the Illawarra,” Mr Hazzard said.

“It’s always challenging to build a brand new hospital on an existing site, this way we can keep services well and truly operational while we build a new facility at Dunmore, which will ensure a progressive and reasonable transition.”

Mr Hazzard also announced the location of a new Illawarra ambulance station. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Also during his visit, Mr Hazzard announced a new ambulance station would be built at Fairy Meadow.

“This is a first for Fairy Meadow, providing paramedics with a modern facility with state-of-the-art equipment to help them carry out their vital job of saving lives in the local Illawarra communities,” Mr Hazzard said.

“The next step will be choosing the best site in Fairy Meadow to build the ambulance station. To do this we have expert help from tried and tested international software which maps triple-0 calls.”

Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park welcomed Thursday’s announcements, saying Fairy Meadow was a good choice for a new station.

“With a significant amount of development having taken place in and around Fairy Meadow as well as being centrally located between existing services at Bulli and Wollongong I am confident that this additional service will improve access to emergency care for local residents,” he said.

“The Government must now fast track site selection and commence construction as soon as possible given the demand for paramedic services across the Illawarra.”