Budget blow-out shows each car space at Coomera Hospital will cost $90,000

Documents show the eye-watering projected cost to construct a car park at the new Coomera hospital, with plans sent back to the drawing board by the Crisafulli government.

The original budget for building the new Coomera Hospital car park shows each vehicle space at the new facility will cost more than $91,000 in funding, tender documents reveal.

The independent Sangster Review for the Crisafulli Government estimates the project budget for the hospital car park alone to be more than $117 million.

The original $1.3bn overall hospital budget had been forecast to blow out to $2.245bn. The State Government strongly rejects claims by the Opposition that the project has been paused, saying work continues on site and with planning of major components.

The Crisafulli Government believes it can drive a better price on the carpark through a competitive tender process but Labor is urging it to continue construction of the hospital.

A table in the review showing car park cost assessments details how the Coomera parking station would provide at least 1290 spaces – each costs $90,874.

The Opposition is also calling on the state government to ensure the car park remains public, rather than private like Gold Coast University Hospital where families pay skyrocketing fees.

Aerial photograph showing work on the Coomera Hospital site before it was paused for a review. The buildings are lift shafts for the towers planned.

Shadow Attorney General Shannon Fentiman while attending the work site told this masthead: “Labor had a strong policy when we were in government to ensure that hospital car parks remained in public hands so we could offer discounts, particularly to those Queenslanders who were vulnerable and had to visit hospital regularly.”

Ms Fentiman questioned some of the costings in the Sangster independent review into hospitals and maintained that the projects must proceed.

The review said the actual costs to construct multideck car parks were in the range of $40,000 to $65,000 per space.

“It is unclear what is driving such a substantial variance in forecast costs against actual delivered project costs in other jurisdictions,” the report says.

The review recommended the designs be “simplified and rationalised” after tenders were awarded last year to other hospitals at a rate of up to almost $250,000 a space.

Shadow Attorney General Shannon Fentiman with Gaven MP and Labor frontbencher Meaghan Scanlon. Behind them is the Coomera Hospital work site.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the review into the previous Labor Government’s planning was “scathing” and future options for the hospital and carpark were being replanned in alignment with its recommendations.

He said the hospital carpark was being delivered under the $1.3bn hospital car park program with funding allocated in the 2025-26 Budget.

Planning for the expanded Coomera site inclusive of car parking was under way to accommodate the increase from the 404 overnight beds promised by Labor — contrary to expert advice — to at least 600 overnight beds, he added.

“The carpark project is in design phase, with the design currently under review to ensure sufficient parking will be available to support 600 beds,” Mr Nicholls said.

“Once the design is complete the carpark project will go out to market via a competitive procurement process, which will drive value for money in the current market conditions.

“Steven Miles and Labor continue to spread lies but the truth is work on Hospital Rescue Plan projects continue across the state, including at Coomera, where early works awarded under the Stage 1 contract progress.”

Ms Fentiman said the hospital build must continue to take pressure off the Gold Coast University Hospital.

Specific funding for the hospital was not listed in the budget papers, but covered in a $911m spend on the infrastructure scheme in 2025-26.

Artist impression of the new Coomera Public Hospital: Picture: Supplied by Queensland state government.

Gaven MP and Labor frontbencher Meaghan Scanlon, also on the site with Ms Fentiman, took a political shot at the Premier, who she said was not looking after his home city.

“David Crisafulli is the Premier from the Gold Coast, who doesn’t do anything for the Gold Coast. His decision to pause construction on the new Coomera Hospital while the city continues to grow will only deliver poorer health outcomes,” she said.

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