- The Crisafulli Government has reached an agreement with contractor John Holland Group to deliver the main works on the new Toowoomba Hospital.
- The agreement to deliver the critical infrastructure project at the Baillie Henderson campus is part of the Crisafulli Government's fully-funded Hospital Rescue Plan, the largest investment in history for Queensland's health capital program.
- Construction will now be accelerated on the Crisafulli Government's masterplan for Toowoomba Hospital, in line with recommendations made in an independent review into Labor's failed hospital build plan.
- The Crisafulli Government is healing Labor's Health Crisis and delivering easier to access health services right across the State.
The Crisafulli Government has reached an agreement with the John Holland Group to deliver the next phase of the new Toowoomba Hospital, marking a major milestone in the delivery of one of Queensland's most significant health infrastructure projects.
The new Toowoomba Hospital is part of the Crisafulli Government's fully-funded Hospital Rescue Plan to deliver more than 2,600 new beds statewide, with three new and 10 expanded hospitals, a Queensland Cancer Centre, as well as new and upgraded health and ambulance facilities across the state.
The agreement with the John Holland Group locks in the design and delivery approach detailed in the Crisafulli Government's masterplan for the project, which follows on from an exhaustive consultation process involving 22,000 points of clinical feedback from Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service.
The new masterplan addresses issues identified in a scathing independent review of the former Labor Government's Capacity Expansion Program, which revealed its Toowoomba plan would have led to a $680 million cost blowout and was missing key services including a transit lounge, operating theatres, dialysis, geriatric rehab and birthing suites.
Labor's failed plan also had Toowoomba operating two hospitals simultaneously – the current hospital and the new build on the Baillie Henderson campus – which was not supported by clinicians and would have cost up to an extra $400 million a year in operating costs.
At the time of the Independent Review, Labor's plan to only deliver half a hospital at Baillie Henderson was forecast to cost $1.98 billion.
Now, after axing Labor's CFMEU tax, the Crisafulli Government has been able to develop a plan for a full acute hospital at Baillie Henderson that comes in below the forecast amount.
Under the Hospital Rescue Plan, the new Toowoomba Hospital will include at least 538 overnight beds including a dedicated 84-bed acute mental health facility, a cardiac lab, more dialysis, a larger emergency department, a multi-storey car park and other expanded clinical services.
The new agreement is the first of several major hospital construction project contracts expected to be progressed in coming months, following the approval of other masterplans to deliver critical works at Redcliffe, Townsville University, Coomera, Cairns and Bundaberg hospital projects.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said it was a critical milestone as the Crisafulli Government delivers on its commitment for a new Toowoomba Hospital consolidated into one campus.
"Labor's botched plan for a new Toowoomba Hospital would have put the wider Darling Downs area into a deeper health crisis following the former government's decade of decline," Minister Nicholls said.
"Our Hospital Rescue Plan has now got this crucial project back on track to deliver a new hospital for the region and to ensure locals have easier access to a broader range of life-changing and life-saving health services."
Treasurer and Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki said the new Toowoomba Hospital was an absolute gamechanger for the local community.
"Labor's failed hospital plan left Toowoomba and the Darling Downs in the lurch for a decade but now we've got cranes in the air thanks to our Hospital Rescue Plan, which is getting on the with job of delivering this much-needed new hospital," Treasurer Janetzki said.
Member for Toowoomba North Trevor Watts said a new hospital build was integral to keeping up with the changing demographics of the local area.
"Toowoomba has a growing and ageing population, which is increasing pressure on our hospitals and health services each year, and that's why it is so exciting to see this important project reach another major milestone," Mr Watts said.
Member for Lockyer Jim McDonald said, when finished, the new hospital would have a wide-ranging impact.
"A new Toowoomba Hospital is a must for the region, and it just shows how through better planning, increased productivity, and innovative construction methods the Crisafulli Government is curing Labor's health crisis after their decade of decline," Mr McDonald said.
Member for Condamine Pat Weir said locals were excited to see even more activity at the new hospital site over coming months.
"There will be staged delivery to keep the new Toowoomba Hospital project on track and the community is really going to see activity at the new site ramp up," Mr Weir said.
