[VIS] Royal Adelaide Hospital Rebuild

[Ben]

From AdelaideNow:

The SA Opposition has unveiled its plan for a redeveloped Royal Adelaide Hospital

GREG KELTON, STATE EDITOR

March 23, 2009 01:00pm

BREAKING NEWS: THE Opposition has unveiled its plans for the Royal Adelaide Hospital, saving up to $900 million on the Government's West End proposal.

Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith has unveiled the plans saying all three options represented a better investment in public health than the Government's railway yards proposal.
He said the Liberals' plans would lift bed capacity at the RAH to 800.

The launch of the party's RAH plans come as an Advertiser poll shows a majority of voters want the existing hospital redeveloped instead of a new $1.7 billion hospital in the city's West End.


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The hospital issue is looming as a central election issue for the 2010 state election with the Government proposing a brand new hospital and the Liberals calling for redevelopment.
Doctors' groups are also opposing the new hospital.

The Liberals' options are:

MULTI-STOREY buildings at the north, south and eastern parts of the current RAH site with demolition of the old nurses' quarters and east wing. Involves the return of some land to the Botanic Gardens. Total cost $1.4 billion with a saving of at least $300 million.

L-SHAPED multi-storey building on the north of the site, demolition of R wing and East wing, underground parking and return of land to Botanic Gardens. Cost: $950 million with total saving of $750 million.

MULTI-STOREY outpatient facility on North Tce car park area and new inpatient facility to replace demolished R wing at the rear of the current site. Cost: $800 million with saving of at least $900 million.

Mr Hamilton-Smith said the Opposition had spent the past 18 months consulting with hospital construction experts, cost estimators and medical professionals on the best way forward for the RAH.

"Labor's plan has the potential to become a financial disaster," he said.

"As it stands, it will cost taxpayers a million dollars a day, every day until 2046.

"A baby born in hospital today will be 37 by the time the railyards vision is paid off and its parents will be in their 60s."

Opposition health spokeswoman Vickie Chapman said the RAH rebuild could be done in a timeframe equal to, or better, than that proposed for the railyards project.

Health Minister John Hill is defending the new hospital plans against claims it is going to built on an earthquake fault line.

He said the Government would build a hospital that would not only survive an earthquake but would remain operational afterwards.

Mr Hill described Liberal plans for the RAH as a "patch-up job".

"It's time they told the truth – their proposals, such as they are, would cost more, take longer and wouldn't even increase the capacity of the hospital or improve the outdated facilities," he said.

[Waewick]

It's a great idea. But quite frankly, I don't care how they do it, that Hospital needs fixing ASAP.

[Shuz]

I love how every single Liberals plan or project is just utter shit. They cannot seem to deliver or do anything right. Sod off. New hospital thanks.

[Waewick]

because the universally panned labor one is so much better?

I know everyone has political persuasions but far out, we need alternate ideas of course people are going to call it a patch up, but the plan by labor is hardly convincing. I even read somewhere that they are going to reduce bed spaces?

[Cruise]

I love how every single Liberals plan or project is just utter shit. They cannot seem to deliver or do anything right. Sod off. New hospital thanks.

So you completely agree with Labor's plan?

[Shuz]

I completely agree its the better plan.

[Cruise]

Why? cos labor came up with it?

[crawf]

While I support the idea of redeveloping the RAH, this plan looks kinda cheap and something from Sim City.

Plus I don't like the idea of reducing the size of the RAH and returning the land to botanic gardens. The hospital needs to be redeveloped and expanded, or relocated to another location (excluding the railway yards).

[peas_and_corn]

While I support the idea of redeveloping the RAH, this plan looks kinda cheap and something from Sim City.

Plus I don't like the idea of reducing the size of the RAH and returning the land to botanic gardens. The hospital needs to be redeveloped and expanded, or relocated to another location (excluding the railway yards).

It DOES look like a building out of Sim City! They should have included the 'service radius' along with the plan

[Norman]

Coming soon: SimCity: MHS edition. Where buildings cost nothing more than $1.

[Wayno]

i'm in favour of a new hospital
i'm against using the railyards
i'm in favour of a frugal approach
i'm against anyone proposing a new hospital without consultation
i'm in favour of anyone who supports a process of inclusion
i'm against political slandering from both labor and liberal

oh well, time to vote Independent...

[monotonehell]

I guess I'm catching up with the news late today. I first found this story on ABC tonight.

Plans to rebuild RAH 'half-baked'

Royal Adelaide Hospital
SA Govt says the Opposition's plans to rebuild the RAH are flawed. (ABC News)

The South Australian Government says the Opposition's plans to rebuild the Royal Adelaide Hospital are flawed.

The Opposition has unveiled three options to rebuild and refurbish the hospital, with the most expensive plan to cost $1.4 billion.

That option includes new buildings at the north, south and east of the hospital, with the demolition of the nurse's quarters and east wing.

Options two and three are less ambitious.

The Opposition leader, Martin Hamilton-Smith, says any of the three options would cost less than the Government's $1.7 billion new hospital.

"It would be half a billion dollars cheaper, possibly up to a billion dollars cheaper," he said.

The Health Minister, John Hill, says the Opposition's plan does not include more beds or take into account the need to replace outdated water and electricity infrastructure.

"The propositions they put forward ignore all of the major engineering infrastructure work that has to happen, it's like repairing a car by putting in new windows but not looking under the hood," he said.

"What they're doing with the $1.4 billion proposition is ignoring all of the infrastructure problems, the electricity services, the airconditioning, the water supply, the heating and so on."

The Opposition says it would consult publicly after next year's election.

[cruel_world00]

I support neither of the major Party's plans until they get off their arse and involve the public in what is a major spending of our money. Or at the very least, give us transparency so that we know why they have made these decisions.

Why have Labor picked the rail yards over places like Clipsal and Keswick?
Are Liberals legit?

I know it sometimes feels like nothing gets done in Adelaide, but this is a HUGE decision that will have ramifications for years and years to come. Let's not @#$% it up royally.

[Pistol]

Well said Cruel_World.

[Waewick]

Lets face it, the election is next year. We should include the location of the RAH in the vote, its not a hard thing.

along with the voting slips come - do you want the hospital on the railyards or in it current place.

The reason I want it seperate from the election is I do not want it to be the headline of the election, we have many issue to deal with and to win or lose an election on a topic both parties agree with (I mean that everyone agrees the RAH needs improving) seems silly.