The Leader of the State Opposition, Will Hodgman, today unveiled the Tasmanian Liberals’ vision for a New Generation Royal Hobart Hospital.

The Liberal plan is fiscally responsible, increases capacity, delivers new state of the art hospital facilities and builds on the $100 million investment at the current site over the past 20 years.

It also provides for a secure future for the Hobart Port, and waterfront, and paves the way for a strategic plan to make the Hobart CBD more vibrant, dynamic and prosperous.

Mr Hodgman said that for too long, Tasmanians had been left wondering about the future of the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Sensible, practical solution
“Tasmanians want clarity and certainty as we move into difficult times.  The Tasmanian Liberals have a clear vision for the future, that is sensible, practical and that will deliver the right outcome for the Tasmanian community.

“We believe that Tasmania needs a new Royal Hobart Hospital, but we have to be sensible.  We cannot afford a $1.2 billion waterfront hospital.  We cannot afford to destroy Hobart’s working port.  But most importantly, we cannot afford to let the Royal Hobart Hospital deteriorate into a second-rate facility, as it is in danger of doing under David Bartlett.

Labor cannot be trusted to get this right
“Tasmania simply cannot trust the Labor Party to get this once in a lifetime project right.

“Already, their ill-conceived waterfront hospital proposal has cost Tasmanian taxpayers’ about eight million of dollars.  All without a single patient even being treated or a single brick even being laid,” Mr Hodgman said.

The Shadow Minister for Health and Human Services, Brett Whiteley, said the Liberals’ solution was sensible and practical.

“Spending $1.2 billion – or more – on a waterfront hospital is totally unrealistic.  It would simply cost too much.  However, if we rebuild the existing Royal Hobart Hospital we can quickly, effectively and responsibly give Tasmanians the state of the art New  Generation Royal Hobart Hospital they deserve.

“The vision we have outlined today caters for rebuilding the Royal in three stages.

A Hodgman Liberal Government will commence work on Stage 1 in its first term of government.

Stage one
“The first stage will involve demolishing ‘E’ Block and ‘F’ Block – two blocks that face onto Collins and Campbell Streets, and are underutilised.

 “There will be limited disruption to patients or the existing services that the Royal Hobart Hospital currently provides during the demolition process. All around the country and the world, hospitals have been redeveloped on existing sites.

“We will then build a new block on the site that will be nearly 35,000 square metres in size.  This will increase the operational size of the entire hospital by 60 per cent.

“However, the new building only needs to be 10 storeys high to achieve this considerable increase in size for the hospital - much smaller than Lara Giddings claimed it would need to be last year.

 “The State Government has already said that there will be $360 million in the Hospitals Capital Fund by 30 June 2012, and we believe the Tasmanian Liberal vision can be achieved via the use of this fund – and is a considerable saving on the $1.2 billion price tag for a waterfront hospital.

“The timing for the subsequent stages will be assessed once stage one is complete and the anticipated need and future demands are clearer.”

Mr Whiteley demanded the State Government immediately make available to the Opposition resources from the Department of Health and Human Services to

Future stages
Stage 2 involves refurbishing and re-orientating block A.

And Stage 3 is the demolition and rebuild of block H to provide an additional 15,392 sqm and make the hospital almost double the current operational size– if needed and financially responsible.

Experience interstate and overseas
Mr Whiteley said that around the nation and the world, hospitals were being rebuilt on existing sites, and a Hodgman Liberal Government would utilize this expertise to ensure that rebuilding the Royal Hobart Hospital did not cause unnecessary disruption or discomfort for patients or staff.

Mr Hodgman said the development was also a key element of the Liberals’ vision for the Hobart CBD, and waterfront, both of which are languishing under ten years of Labor.

“The use of a prime waterfront site for a new hospital, as Labor has proposed to do, is madness and denies all Tasmanians the opportunity to get the most out of this site.

“Our plan paves the way for a transparent public discussion on the future of this site, and to incorporate it into the master plan that is being developed for the waterfront.

“It also ensures that the future of Hobart’s deep water port is secure.”

A broader vision for a vibrant Hobart CBD and waterfront
So far as the CBD is concerned, retaining the hospital’s 3000 staff in the CBD is critical to longer term plans to bring it back to life.

“The CBD is in a depressing state and needs a major shot in the arm,” Mr Hodgman said.

“The Liverpool St Myer site is still a gaping hole, retailers are feeling the effects of the global economic downturn, and the challenges associated with new and dynamic shopping experiences elsewhere such as Cambridge Park.

“Moving the hospital out of the CBD could be the last straw.

“We recognize the importance of keeping the hospital in the CBD to revitalizing the area generally and ensure that the city’s small business sector can grow and thrive. Labor does not seem concerned about the economic impact of a waterfront hospital on small businesses in our city.”

A better way for regional and rural Tasmania
By freeing up funding that would otherwise be spent on a $1.2 billion waterfront hospital, the Liberal plan also ensures that health infrastructure and services in our rural and regional areas can be retained and enhanced, and not neglected by Labor as it has been for the past ten years.

Preventative health focus
The Tasmanian Liberals also believe that one of the most important roles for the State Government is to focus on strategies to keep people well and out of hospital in the first place.

This is why we have previously announced that a Hodgman Liberal Government will escalate the establishment of primary health care centres and establish an independent health promotion fund. It will provide advice to government on preventive health investment, education and practical assistance to the whole community, and draw together the current hit-and-miss uncoordinated approach to health in this State in this area of preventive health care.  This health promotion foundation, funded by private and public sectors and independent of government, will be leading the charge to turn around these very poor and unacceptable health outcomes with incentives for Tasmanians to be well and stay well.