The three-year blow out in the completion date for a new WCH is putting mounting pressure on the ageing Women’s and Children’s Hospital in North Adelaide, the State Opposition fears.
With the WCHN Governing Board confirming the completion date has blown out to 2033-34, the ageing infrastructure at the current site will be well past it’s use-by date.
Leader of the Opposition, Vincent Tarzia, said South Australians have already spent a decade putting very expensive band-aids on the current WCH.
“The current WCH needs significant funds to ensure it remains fit for purpose, and having three years added to the timeframe for a new building only increases the need for investment,” Mr Tarzia said.
“The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit is being moved to a makeshift ward while urgent works are carried out and today, we learned that Hospital executives are awaiting the outcome of a budget bid to fix the flammable cladding on the outside of the Hospital.
“The more time we wait for a new WCH, the more money will be spent on the current site, essentially charging taxpayers twice for this Government’s failure to manage major projects.”
Shadow Minister for Health, Ashton Hurn, said Labor can’t just allow the current Women’s and Children’s Hospital to go to rack and ruin whist we wait for the new one to be completed.
“While in office, the former Liberal Government spent more than $50 million upgrading key areas and we support further funding to ensure the facility remains fit for purpose,” Mrs Hurn said.
“It is absolutely imperative that the current WCH is maintained to a high standard, and the upcoming State budget must address any additional need identified.
“The current hospital infrastructure is already stretched, if it is stretched too far it will simply break.
“The WCH cannot be left to go to rack and ruin while we wait another decade for a new facility.”
