Page 2390 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 30 July 2019
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39 more than are currently available at Canberra Hospital, and 60 ICU beds, 12 more than originally planned. Going to the point of Mr Coe’s question, it is more than was originally planned. The ICU will also include four paediatric ICU beds. There will be 22 new state-of-the-art operating theatres, an increase from the 13 that are currently available and two more than originally planned. The theatres will include hybrid theatres and interventional radiology theatres that will allow for advances in the use of medical technology and techniques.
MR COE: Minister, what is the expected budget for this project, noting that you said at least $500 million, and when will it be delivered? Will that be as per the original commitment or by a new commitment?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I think I answered the first part of the question in my earlier answer that we will not be giving a specific dollar figure. Indeed, it is not possible to do that until the procurement process has been completed. This a more than $500 million project, as we have publicly stated, and there are figures in the budget in terms of preparing for this project to be delivered.
In terms of the time frame, in May 2019 the government announced that preparatory site works for SPIRE will get underway with decanting and site works commencing this year and construction set for completion in 2023-24. This remains the case, and the project is not delayed. These decanting works will start in September 2019 with construction of a new demountable building to accommodate the CHS executive team.
The time frame remains exactly the same as it was in May this year.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, what is your plan to ensure that the hospital does not experience capacity problems, especially in emergency, ICU and surgical theatres while we wait for SPIRE?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Dunne for the supplementary question. There are a number of elements to the plan to ensure that Canberrans can continue to receive acute hospital services or hospital services where and when they need them. These include the ICU expansion at the Canberra Hospital, $28.8 million for staff, $13.5 million from the commonwealth for a capital expansion and an expansion of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children. That is a $43.5 million capital project with about a $40 million expense associated with it. It includes, of course, the delivery of an adolescent mental health unit.
Calvary expansions: almost $12 million is being provided for more surgical theatres. There is a $22 million expansion of ED capability, a urology expansion and, of course, the recent revamp of the Calvary maternity. I could go on but suffice to say that the ACT government has a plan for the future of both infrastructure and services across the territory as part of a territory-wide delivery of health and hospital services.
Parking—Australian War Memorial
MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the minister for roads, and relates to negotiations with the War Memorial regarding turning part of the Remembrance nature reserve into a very large car park. Minister, why did the recently released
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