Official Government documents reveal an extended blow out to the completion date of the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital (New WCH) project, raising serious questions about Labor’s handling of the project
Women’s and Children’s Local Health Network Board papers from November reveal a completion date for the New WCH of 2033-2034, not 2030-31 as Labor announced.
This means a child born in 2013 - when Labor first announced a New Women’s and Children’s Hospital - will celebrate their 21st birthday before it is built, as the timeframe blows out by at least another three years.
Leader of the Opposition, Vincent Tarzia questioned why Labor hadn’t publicly revealed the blow outs despite being asked direct questions on the project in Parliament.
“Labor appears intent on pulling the wool over South Australia’s eyes when it comes to the new WCH project, and there are mounting concerns about the way it’s been managed by this Government,” Mr Tarzia said.
“This project is critically important for the future of our health system, yet there is no architect, no design and the timeframe has blown out significantly.
“If they’re not upfront about the delivery date what else are they hiding, is there a cost blow out too?
“We know Labor presided over major cost and time blow outs with the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and now it appears history is repeating itself.
“Labor started the process of building a new WCH in 2013, meaning it will be more than 20 years between their first announcement and the project delivery in 2034.
“Toddlers today will be teenagers before they can walk through the doors.”
Shadow Minister for Health, Ashton Hurn, said the official papers also reveal pressure placed on the current hospital, citing the need to temporarily shut down the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
“Not only are Labor’s New WCH delays impacting future generations, but there’s also serious pressure on the current hospital,” Mrs Hurn said.
“Having the sickest children in the state essentially cared for in a makeshift ward is concerning to say the least, but there’ll also be two fewer beds for children requiring intensive care.
“We cannot just allow the current Women’s and Children’s Hospital to go to rack and ruin while we wait for Labor to finally complete the hospital they’ve been promising for more than a decade.
“Our hardworking doctors and nurses, sick children and their families deserve more than just band-aid solutions.”
