Minister for Health Brad Hazzard, Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP and Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock MP have today announced the Illawarra community is a step closer to having a new world-class $700 million Shellharbour Hospital, with the search now on for the ideal site.
Minister Hazzard said the NSW Government is calling for proposals from landowners of suitable greenfield sites in the Shellharbour region.
“The NSW Government is fulfilling its promise to deliver the $700 million state-of-the-art Shellharbour Hospital on a greenfield site, together with new networked health services, to meet the communities’ healthcare needs,” Mr Hazzard said.
“We’re launching a thorough site selection process to secure a hospital site that is convenient, accessible and best placed to provide future health services to communities across the entire Illawarra region.”
The public site selection process is now open, inviting landowners to nominate potentially suitable sites for consideration.
Submissions will close on Friday 4 December.
Member for Kiama Gareth Ward said finding the right site was key to unlocking the future health growth of the Shellharbour region.
“Building Shellharbour Hospital on a new site will enable the expansion of health services which will ease waiting list pressures across the region,” Mr Ward said.
“It will also allow for a contemporary new mental health facility, better transport links and opportunities for further expansion in the future.”
Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock said local clinicians, staff and the broader community all have a vital role to play in planning for the new hospital.
“The community’s input will help shape the future of healthcare in our region, ensuring the new hospital is an enormous asset to our local community in providing the best possible health services and creating jobs well into the future,” Mrs Hancock said.
“Following further planning and consultation, the new hospital is expected to include acute medical and surgical services, medical imaging, an emergency department, mental health services, outpatient and ambulatory care and a multistorey car park.”
The NSW Government has invested $10 billion to deliver more than 130 new and enhanced health facilities statewide since 2011, including $37.1 million towards the Bulli Hospital and Aged Care Centre. In addition, as part of the $100 million HealthOne Program, two new HealthOne projects have been developed in the Illawarra, at Dapto and Ulladulla.
The NSW Government is also investing $10.7 billion more over the next four years, including $900 million for new and upgraded regional hospitals and health facilities for rural and regional areas in 2020-21.
To learn more about the project visit Shellharbour Hospital Redevelopment or email ISLHD-SHH-Redevelopment@health.nsw.gov.au