Controversial Tweed Valley Hospital build site vandalised

Vandalism at the Tweed Valley Hospital build site where all the geological equipment was destroyed has been blasted by the NSW Health Minister.

VANDALS destroyed all the geological equipment and stole a toolbox at the $582 million Tweed Valley Hospital site on Thursday night.

The attack on the largest infrastructure project the shire has ever seen fired up NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard yesterday after he toured the tired Tweed Heads Hospital.

The decision to build the hospital on a Cudgen sweet potato farm has divided the community since it was announced in April.

Tweed Hospital proposed sites maps.

Farmers have protested against losing arable land, Kingscliff residents rallied against it leading to overdevelopment in their coastal town, Labor promised to build it at the nearby Kings Forest Estate and the Greens want the old hospital upgraded.

The vandalism is the latest setback for Health Infrastructure as it yesterday announced Tweed Coastal Demolition and Excavations won the remediation work contract.

“Whoever did damage all of the geological equipment should hang their head in shame," Mr Hazzard said.

It isn’t feasible to upgrade the Tweed Hospital. Picture: Jerad Williams

“It is time for people to put aside their political batons and get on the field to start playing in the one direction.”

The current hospital is already overloaded and patients are constantly being sent to Queensland to services the facility doesn’t provide which the new centre would.

Tweed Hospital Medical Council co-chair Robert Davies said there were 10 patients waiting for beds at the hospital yesterday and all remaining 220 were full.

“There are patients in the Emergency Department waiting 24 hours just for the coronary department beds,” he said.

New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard fired up about the Tweed Valley Hospital build site vandalism. (AAP Image/Andrew Leeson)

“It is just the state we are in because we are at capacity.”

Dr Davies said the proposed site was ideal and upgrading the current facility would result in a dysfunctional mess that cost 20 per cent more to build.

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“We specifically approached the old minister and current minister about building on a greenfield site,” he said.

“To try and upgrade to an old hospital like this that has had bits added on and added on is absolute nonsense.”

The Casuarina resident of 17 years said concerns the proposed site would change the character of Kingscliff were ludicrous.

“Development around Kingscliff already has already set aside for housing is considerable,” he said.

“The myth that the hospital is suddenly going to ruin Kingscliff is wrong.”

Tweed MP Geoff Provest said any further delays to the construction put lives at risks and were expensive.

“For every month it is delayed there is a cost out of the budget for $2.5 million,” he said.

“It is critical to support Health Infrastructure who are the experts in building hospital, it is critical to support the medical staff and the people here who need better health services.”

Editor’s Note: a photograph originally published with this article depicted a group of protesters against the hospital being developed at Cudgen. Readers should not have inferred that anyone depicted was responsible for the vandalism of equipment at the worksite.