❓ Mr. L'Estrange asks for an update on the Perth Children's Hospital's progress. The Minister for Health details the project's timeline, delays, and expected opening in early 2016, aligning with the original schedule.
AnsweredQoN 142Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL — PROGRESS
142. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I would like to acknowledge the presence in the Speaker's
gallery of student leaders from Edney Primary School in the member for
Forrestfield's electorate. Welcome.
Can the minister please update the house on how the new Perth
Children's Hospital is progressing?
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL — PROGRESS
142. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I would like to acknowledge the presence in the Speaker's
gallery of student leaders from Edney Primary School in the member for
Forrestfield's electorate. Welcome.
Can the minister please update the house on how the new Perth
Children's Hospital is progressing?
AnswerView source ↗
This is a good opportunity for me to bring the house up to
date. Members would have seen an article in The
West Australian in which that question was asked. We are getting close to
being able to finalise the exact time of opening of the new Perth Children's
Hospital. Members will recall that when the business case was first signed,
which was in November 2010, the projected completion date for the hospital was
November 2015—the end of this year—with an opening date
scheduled for February or March 2016. When the project definition plan was
signed about a year later, in March 2011, those timetables remained, with completion
at the end of November 2015 and opening between January and March 2016; so,
still in that same time frame.
In June 2014, roughly a year ago, because the project was
running well ahead of schedule—probably six months ahead of schedule—and
because we had concerns about how we would phase the opening over the Christmas
period, when people tend to be away, I announced that we would bring the
opening date forward. The hospital was proposed to be finished by the
developers by the end of June 2015, and we therefore proposed to open the
hospital in early November 2015. However, subsequent to that, a couple of
things have happened. Firstly, there was a change in the ownership of the
building company, and that resulted in some level of delay. Secondly, there was
the issue of the extra building height, as members will recall. We decided to
put an additional 24 rooms into an administration component of the building,
and that required some change in the schedule by the builders. The builders
have now told us that they are no longer ahead of time—they are back on
time—and they expect to be finished by the end of this year.
My advice, particularly with the
experience that we have gained with Fiona Stanley Hospital, is that it takes
about five months to put all the services in, train up all the staff, and
commission the hospital and get it ready. The actual transfer will take place
over a weekend, and that is expected to be around March or April 2016; so,
roughly the time that we had originally planned. But that exact time will not
be locked into place until we know when the builders will complete the
building, because until we can get access to the building and start putting our
things in there and get all that started, we will not be able to do that. So I
need to inform the house that we expect to be back on our first schedule—which
is the schedule for most of the construction period—which is completion
by November this year and opening early next year.
date. Members would have seen an article in The
West Australian in which that question was asked. We are getting close to
being able to finalise the exact time of opening of the new Perth Children's
Hospital. Members will recall that when the business case was first signed,
which was in November 2010, the projected completion date for the hospital was
November 2015—the end of this year—with an opening date
scheduled for February or March 2016. When the project definition plan was
signed about a year later, in March 2011, those timetables remained, with completion
at the end of November 2015 and opening between January and March 2016; so,
still in that same time frame.
In June 2014, roughly a year ago, because the project was
running well ahead of schedule—probably six months ahead of schedule—and
because we had concerns about how we would phase the opening over the Christmas
period, when people tend to be away, I announced that we would bring the
opening date forward. The hospital was proposed to be finished by the
developers by the end of June 2015, and we therefore proposed to open the
hospital in early November 2015. However, subsequent to that, a couple of
things have happened. Firstly, there was a change in the ownership of the
building company, and that resulted in some level of delay. Secondly, there was
the issue of the extra building height, as members will recall. We decided to
put an additional 24 rooms into an administration component of the building,
and that required some change in the schedule by the builders. The builders
have now told us that they are no longer ahead of time—they are back on
time—and they expect to be finished by the end of this year.
My advice, particularly with the
experience that we have gained with Fiona Stanley Hospital, is that it takes
about five months to put all the services in, train up all the staff, and
commission the hospital and get it ready. The actual transfer will take place
over a weekend, and that is expected to be around March or April 2016; so,
roughly the time that we had originally planned. But that exact time will not
be locked into place until we know when the builders will complete the
building, because until we can get access to the building and start putting our
things in there and get all that started, we will not be able to do that. So I
need to inform the house that we expect to be back on our first schedule—which
is the schedule for most of the construction period—which is completion
by November this year and opening early next year.
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