The Illawarra community will soon see construction start on the new state-of-the-art $700 million Shellharbour Hospital, which will include integrated health services and a multi-deck hospital car park.
The NSW Government has acquired the preferred greenfield site for the new Shellharbour Hospital at Dunmore Road, Dunmore under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991, enabling construction to begin by March 2023.
"This is a fantastic milestone for one of the state's biggest health infrastructure projects in the heart of the Illawarra community, which can expect to see its new first class hospital up and running by 2027," Mr Hazzard said.
"This site for the new Shellharbour Hospital was selected after a public site selection process and it provides space for future expansion to meet the healthcare needs of the growing community.
"A new multi-deck hospital car park will be built on the Dunmore site which is also well connected to road and rail networks, to ensure easy access for the whole community."
The NSW Government is providing $570 million for the project, with the remaining funding being provided from the Commonwealth Government. The hospital is expected to include:
- expanded emergency services
- increased surgical capacity
- rehabilitation and aged care services
- acute medical services
- new mental health services in contemporary,patient-centred facilities
- renal dialysis
- outpatients and ambulatory care services
- a new multi-storey car park and improved public transport links.
As part of the integrated project, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District will expand its services at Bulli Hospital and add palliative care and rehabilitation beds at Wollongong Hospital while the new Shellharbour Hospital is being built.
Parliamentary Secretary for Wollongong and the Illawarra Peter Poulos announced the site selection process for the new Warrawong Community Health Centre has also now been finalised.
"Following significant review of local site options, the brand-new Warrawong Community Health Centre will be built on the existing Port Kembla Hospital site, to the south east of the hospital," Mr Poulos said.
"This means construction can begin sooner, so the local health district can continue to deliver quality community based health services to the region from this well-known and iconic location."
Mr Poulos said the Port Kembla Hospital, which was opened in 1960, is coming to the end of its useful life and planning continues for the gradual relocation of health services to purpose-built facilities throughout the LHD over the next few years.
"Ongoing consultation with our stakeholders and community members is a vital part of the process and we look forward to working with the community on both exciting projects in the coming months," Mr Poulos said.
The NSW Government is investing a record $11.9 billion in health infrastructure over the four years to 2025-26, with nearly a third of the capital allocation in this financial year going towards regional and rural health facilities.
Since 2011, the NSW Government has delivered more than 180 hospitals and health facilities across NSW, with more than 130 currently underway - of those, more than 90 are in rural and regional areas.
