Launceston General Hospital helipad: Timeline for new Cleveland St site blows out

Despite knowing since November 2022 a public hospital’s helipad would be ruled non-compliant, its replacement won’t be ready until mid-2024, the Health Department says. The reason for the delay.

Render of the new $15m helipad at 280 Charles St, Launceston, atop the multistorey Cleveland St carpark. Picture: ARTAS

Despite the state government knowing since November 2022 Launceston General Hospital’s helipad needed replacing, a new helipad won’t be operational until mid-2024 at the earliest, Health Minister Guy Barnett says.

It was revealed on January 5 this year that the Ockerby Gardens helipad adjoining the hospital had been retired from use from January 1.

The decision was not publicly announced until the Mercury lodged questions of the Department of Health.

Patients requiring air transport via the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to the hospital have, since the retirement of Ockerby Gardens, been landed at Launceston Airport and transported via ambulance to the hospital.

The extra leg adds approximately 10–15 minutes to patients’ journey to the emergency department.

Earlier this year, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said a $15m replacement helipad, located on the rooftop of the Cleveland St multistorey carpark and connected to the hospital via aerobridge, would be operational by the end of 2023.

However, on Sunday, Health Minister Guy Barnett said the new helipad is not expected to be in operation until the “middle of next year”.

The Cleveland St multistorey carpark in Launceston, the roof of which will be upgraded to house Launceston General Hospital's new helipad. Picture: Google Street View

“Construction work has begun on the $15m elevated helipad at the Launceston General Hospital, as the Rockliff Liberal Government delivers on its long-term plan and does what matters for all Tasmanians,” he said.

“Initial works include installation of supporting infrastructure, before the helipad itself is lifted into place in sections using a tower crane.

“The helipad is expected to be operational by the middle of next year.”

A spokesman from Mr Barnett’s department said the delays were multi-factorial.

“A number of factors, including complications with heritage oak trees, complex fire engineering solutions and international procurement of a lightweight aluminium helideck have put pressure on the project’s timeline,” he said.

Follow @humidityreport

“The department is working to deliver the project as soon as possible.

“It is important to note Tasmanians who require urgent health care via aeromedical helicopter transport continue to receive that care.”

The helipad at Launceston General Hospital. Picture: Alex Treacy

The spokesman said the department had brought forward the construction of a new multistorey carpark at the corner of Howick and Charles streets, under the ongoing $580m LGH Masterplan, to cover for the loss of 66 designated staff parking spaces in the Cleveland St carpark.

Staff who have lost their parking spaces due to the new helipad have been using off-site carparks leased by the department, with a shuttle service ferrying them to work.

The new timeline means that approximately 18 months will have elapsed between the department learning it needed a new helipad and its replacement being in place.

The Mercury previously reported that the department learnt in November 2022 that rescue helicopter operator Rotorlift Aviation would cease flying to Ockerby Gardens from January 1 onwards, due in part to tighter Civil Aviation Safety Authority guidelines.

A spokesman previously said that the department received faulty information in May 2022 that a replacement helipad would not be needed until 2024.