The ACT Government is prioritising delivery of the new emergency, surgical and critical healthcare facility at Canberra Hospital, with demolition works for Building 8 well underway.
Local contractors are now being called for to help deliver a purpose-built facility at the hospital campus to house the Canberra Sexual Health Centre as well as training, research and administration functions.
Relocation of these functions into the new four-story Building 8 will ensure that vital health services for the Canberra community are not disrupted during the building of the new critical healthcare facility, due to start next year.
Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said getting on with the job of delivering this project demonstrated the Government’s commitment to boosting healthcare in the ACT while keeping the pipeline of construction works flowing to support employment and ease the economic impacts of COVID-19.
“Building 8 is expected to support more than 100 jobs and 20 local contractors during construction and is part of a significant investment by the ACT Government in city-shaping infrastructure which will create thousands of jobs for our community.
“A Request for Tender will be issued later this week for construction of Building 8, and I encourage our local contractors to consider the RFT when it goes online.
“As we respond to COVID-19, the ACT Government is also continuing to focus on the delivery of essential health infrastructure, including the expansion of the Canberra Hospital through the SPIRE Project,” said Minister Stephen-Smith.
In another show of progress on the Canberra Hospital expansion, development applications were recently submitted for Building 8 and the 1100-bay temporary car park located off Hindmarsh Drive at the former CIT site.
Minister Stephen-Smith said there was still ample opportunity for community input during the project’s design and planning phase.
“The ACT Government is continuously engaging with local residents, clinical staff and consumers to ensure that their expertise and experience contributes to making the Canberra Hospital the best it can be.
“We’ll be holding a virtual meeting of the Local Community Reference Group next week so members can continue to ask questions, provide feedback and be updated on the progress of the expansion of Canberra Hospital.
“There is an opportunity over the next two weeks for the public to comment on the
Building 8 Development Application and I encourage anyone who is interested to provide their input and ideas,” said Minister Stephen-Smith.
