- John Holland has been awarded the tender to lead the design stage of the new hospital in Toowoomba.
- The new $1.3 billion hospital will include 118 additional beds, extending capacity for the Darling Downs region.
- It is the first new hospital and biggest project under the Queensland Health and Hospitals Plan awarded to date.
- It is also another big step for the $89 billion Big Build capital program being delivered by the Palaszczuk Government across Queensland.
The Palaszczuk Government has awarded John Holland the tender as Managing Contractor for Stage 1 of the new $1.3 billion Toowoomba Hospital, marking a significant milestone for the Queensland Health and Hospitals Plan.
The new Toowoomba Hospital is the first of three new hospitals to be awarded under the Health and Hospitals Plan's $9.78 billion Capacity Expansion Program – which also includes 11 hospital expansions and delivery of a state-of-the-art cancer centre.
The new hospital will provide an additional 118 beds across medical, surgical, maternity, coronary and intensive care units, enhancing access to a range of services for the Darling Downs community.
It will provide emergency department treatment spaces, outpatient consultation rooms and diagnostic rooms.
It will also include medical imaging, pharmacy, and pathology services as well as administration, education and training facilities for hospital staff.
The project will also create 3,120 jobs during construction, providing a significant boost for the local economy.
Quotes attributable to Premier Annastascia Palaszczuk:
"Our Government is leading the nation when it comes to investing in health infrastructure, and this announcement is further proof that we are making headwind.
"Our hospitals play a key role in Queensland's Big Build – our $89 billion state-wide suite of projects that are delivering the economic and social infrastructure our growing communities need."
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Mental Health, Health and Ambulance Services, Shannon Fentiman:
"Our massive $9.78 billion investment is delivering new hospitals and thousands of new hospital beds right across Queensland, including in Toowoomba."
"We know Toowoomba is a major hub for a number of rural and regional communities in the Darling Downs region, and that is why this investment is so important."
"It will deliver new and expanded healthcare to the Darling Downs region to cater to its growing population, and ensure the community has access to the health services they need for decades to come.
"Importantly, this new hospital will bring a range of health services closer to home for the community, reducing the need for patients to travel outside the region for more specialised care.
Quotes attributable to Darling Downs Health and Hospital Service Chief Executive, Annette Scott:
"Our Baillie Henderson campus is rapidly evolving into a modern healthcare hub for the Darling Downs.
"We are currently delivering the 20-million-dollar early works package in preparation for the New Toowoomba Hospital which is crucial in ensuring the site is ready for major works to commence next year as well as works progressing on the new Toowoomba Day Surgery which we expect to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
"We know that modern facilities are a consideration for medical staff when they are choosing an organisation to work for, and we are positioning ourselves to become a destination of choice for health service professionals with a pipeline of new infrastructure in Toowoomba, Tara, and Millmerran and of course the recently completed hospital in Kingaroy.
"This a once in a generation project that we must get right, and I welcome today's announcement and look forward to continuing the important work we've started."
