Page 147 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2016

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MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.

MR HANSON: Minister, are you aware of other resourcing constraints within either the Supreme Court or the Magistrates Court?

MR CORBELL: As is the case in any area of public administration, there are pressures when it comes to resourcing and capacity from time to time. These matters are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Hospitals—University of Canberra

MS PORTER: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, can you please update the Assembly on the progress of the University of Canberra public hospital and on how the project will be delivered?

MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Porter for the question. I was pleased to join with the Chief Minister, my colleague the assistant minister, Minister Fitzharris, and Minister Bourke, along with the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra, earlier this week, on Monday, to mark the commencement of construction work for the new University of Canberra public hospital. It is another infrastructure commitment made by this government at the last election which is now being delivered by us.

The delivery of the University of Canberra public hospital is an important enhancement of overall service delivery capacity for our public health system. It will see the delivery of a purpose-built subacute hospital facility to provide, in a purpose-built environment, the rehabilitation, short-stay mental health care and a range of other rehabilitative services necessary for people once they move from an acute care setting.

The government was very pleased to announce the head contractor for the University of Canberra public hospital, Brookfield Multiplex, in November last year, and also to reveal the capital construction cost of $139 million for the new University of Canberra public hospital. Brookfield Multiplex, along with its partner company, Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions, will provide both the construction capability and the ongoing facility management, once the hospital is operational, for a term of approximately 25 years.

Brookfield Multiplex have recently completed a number of other major hospital projects nationally, including the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, the new clinical research and education hub at the University of Sydney’s Camperdown campus and, most recently, the new South East Regional Hospital in Bega. So they come with a very strong level of credentials, and we look forward to seeing them deliver this project in a timely and efficient manner.

The project is now well underway. It is due to be completed in 2018 and to start taking patients shortly afterwards. That will mean that for the first time we will have a quality, purpose-built subacute facility for our city that will be able to be accessed by many hundreds of Canberrans every day. It will ensure that we can take the pressure


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