Life City Wollongong: stage one plans for $287 million development to be decided

The first stage of plans for a $287 million ‘hospital city’ will be decided on next week. See what the vision for the medical precinct includes here.

An artist’s impression of what the $287 million development by Dr Mohamad Rashid could look like.

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Plans for a massive medical and childcare centre have been revealed in Wollongong, as a NSW Planning Panel meet next week to decide the proposal’s fate.

The $15 million stage one development application, submitted to Wollongong Council in May last year, is for the construction of a medical centre, day surgery, respite care centre and childcare centre as part of Unanderra GP Dr Mohamad Rashid’s $287 million plan for the Wollongong HiTech Holistic Healthcare City.

According to the concept development plans submitted by developers Delbest, stage one will include a medical centre comprising of 24 consultant rooms, four day surgery theatres, radiology, MRI, X-ray, mammography, ultrasound and pathology services alongside a cafe and chemist.

The childcare centre would accommodate for a total of 70 children ranging between 0 and five years old.

Early artist impressions of the hospital planned for the site.

The childcare and medical centres are stage one of a six-stage masterplanned cancer and medical precinct known as ‘Life City’ offering “accommodation for patients, visitors of patients, nurses, medical students and resident medical officers totalling 24 “Medi” hostel rooms and 18 apartments (and) a 320-bed hi-tech holistic cancer and medical hospital facility”.

The masterplan for Life City also includes the construction of independent seniors living accommodation and a residential aged care facility and hostel.

Seniors housing will be included in future plans.

“The proposal had a nominated capital investment value of $287 million and was estimated to create 2300 full-time operational jobs and 200 construction-related jobs,” A Wollongong Council planner said in the report to the planning panel.

“The proposal reasonably responds to the site constraints and will provide a facility to service the community and local government area and positively contribute to health and employment generation outcomes.”

The Southern Regional Planning Panel will determine the fate of Dr Rashid’s plans when it meets on April 15.