- Expansion plan to include new emergency, surgical and healthcare facilities
- The Development Application is open for 6 weeks of public consultation
- Improvements have already been made based on pre-DA consultation period
In the latest news on infrastructure spending, the ACT Government is planning to expand the Canberra Hospital to include a new emergency, surgical, and critical healthcare facility at the existing hospital campus in Woden.
The government today released the Development Application for 6 weeks of public consultation.
The Canberra Hospital Expansion is set to support hundreds of local construction jobs and upskilling opportunities for trainees.
Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said consumer, community, and clinician engagement has been critical throughout the project and the Development Application (DA) reflects feedback received over more than a year of engagement.
“We’ve made design and scope updates over the life of the Canberra Hospital Expansion project and the designs released today follow a ten-week pre-DA consultation period earlier in the year,” said Minister Stephen-Smith.
“Through our extensive engagement with consumers, clinicians and the wider community we heard about the importance of accessibility and welcoming spaces for patients, families, and carers. Feedback during pre-DA consultation also confirmed the importance of green spaces and well-designed indoor and outdoor areas that provide opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to get a break from the natural stress of being in hospital.”
“We also know that the most important function of a hospital is to provide outstanding patient care, and we’ve been working closely with clinicians and consumers in designing the clinical spaces throughout the building.”
New or improved features of the design include:
- 33 additional emergency department treating spaces;
- 8 additional coronary care unit beds;
- A cafe terrace and more outdoor spaces for patients, visitors, and staff;
- Short-term parking and dedicated pick up and drop-off zones at the Hospital Road and Bateson Road entrances;
- A repositioned surgical recovery area to provide more natural light for recovering patients.
Major Projects Canberra Chief Projects Officer, Duncan Edghill, said that the designs were refined further through public comments received during the pre-DA consultation period.
“We identified several key areas of priority to the community. These included comments in relation to the Emergency Department, ensuring adequate seating and amenity for visitors, ensuring the building is easy to navigate and car parking.
“The design addresses these themes so as to deliver a world-class facility for patients, staff and visitors alike,” said Mr Edghill.
The release of the new plans for the main facility come on top of other recent milestones for the Canberra Hospital Expansion Project.
This included the completion of refurbishments to Building 4 late last year, relocation of services under Hospital Road, the delivery of a new Child at Risk Health Unit in April, the opening of Building 9 this week as a new patient and carer accommodation facility, and the completion of the new Building 8 later this month.
Minister Stephen-Smith said she was pleased to see the Canberra Hospital Expansion Project was progressing on schedule.
“The refurbishments of Buildings 3, 4 and 9 and the completion of Building 8 are more important milestones towards delivering all elements of the Canberra Hospital Expansion project in 2024.
“The completion of these early works means that these vital community services will not be disrupted when demolition commences on Buildings 5 and 24 which will, in turn, allow preparatory site works to commence for the main Emergency, Surgical and Critical Healthcare building.”
“We know that parking on the Canberra Hospital campus remains an issue, which is why we are also building a car park with 1100 spaces for hospital staff on the former CIT site,” the minister concluded.
Canberrans can have their say on the Development Application for the new 40,000 sqm Emergency, Surgical and Critical Healthcare building until 18 June 2021.
