Flood-risk hospital gets $446m revamp

TAXPAYERS will spend $446 million to redevelop the Cairns waterfront hospital that had to be evacuated ahead of Cyclone Yasi.

TAXPAYERS will spend $446 million to redevelop the Cairns waterfront hospital that had to be evacuated ahead of Cyclone Yasi for fear it would flood.

More than 200 patients -- including intensive care patients, the mentally ill and premature babies -- were airlifted to Brisbane from Cairns Base Hospital last week, in the nation's biggest medical evacuation.

A makeshift emergency centre was set up in a suburban sports complex to deal with any casualties from a cyclone that was expected to be the nation's worst.

Cairns Mayor Val Schier yesterday called on the Queensland government to review the redevelopment of the existing waterfront site along The Esplanade.

She said the government had in the 1990s considered building a new hospital further inland -- including the option of a teaching hospital at the city's James Cook University campus.

"We could have had a hospital on a greenfield site but the public thought it would be lovely to have it there with the sea views," she said. "My personal view is that the wrong decision was made.

"I'd certainly be calling for a review . . . (although) it may indicate the investment already is too significant for a whole new hospital to be built."

Ms Schier said a redeveloped hospital would need to be able to withstand a category-5 cyclone.

She said the hospital had to be evacuated because all the essential services were on the ground floor and susceptible to a storm surge.

The redevelopment master plan says the hospital will be rebuilt to withstand either a strong category-4 cyclone, or a weak category 5.

Queensland Health Minister Paul Lucas said yesterday the government was "fully committed" to the massive redevelopment, due to finish in 2014.

"Cyclone Yasi was of unprecedented size and strength, and the hospital fared well through it.

"We were able to look after the health needs of the Cairns community during the cyclone and, after taking the precaution to evacuate the hospital while the cyclone crossed the coast, the hospital was up and running the very next day."

Mr Lucas said the hospital was in the "geographical heart" of the city, and was well serviced by public transport.

"Moving to a new site would mean wasting millions of dollars already invested in the site over the years, he said.