Bond University to build new $45m allied health centre

Bond University will transform what was a warm-up field for the 2018 Commonwealth Games into a new allied health centre.

The planned interior of Bond University's $45m new health centre

Bond University will transform what was a warm-up field for the 2018 Commonwealth Games into a new $45m health centre to train physiotherapists, dietitians and occupational therapists.

Vice-chancellor Tim Brailsford said that demand in the aged care and disability sectors was driving strong growth in allied health disciplines and the new centre, due to be opened in August 2023, would double the university’s current space for allied health programs.

“This new facility will provide a significant expansion for our programs in allied health,” Professor Brailsford said.

“Moreover, the new clinical facilities add to our ability to service the growing need of the Gold Coast for patients seeking assistance in a range of allied health services.

The new centre will connect to the university’s existing High Performance Training Centre and will be next to the Cbus Super Stadium.

It will include clinical spaces, a gait laboratory equipped with pressure sensors and high-speech cameras to analyse human movement, and a rehabilitation gym. It will also include simulated hospital wards, residential settings and commercial kitchen facilities so allied health students can learn in spaces which resemble those in which they will be working. The simulated commercial kitchens are for students in nutrition and dietetic studies.

The project is being funded by Bond University and will around 200 jobs will be created during construction.

Students in the new facility will also connect closely with sport and high performance training. “The building will also add to the Gold Coast’s increasing reputation as a centre for high performance sports facilities as we plan for Brisbane 2032,” Professor Braithwaite said.