EARLY construction works have begun on a project that will transform healthcare for Springfield and the Western Corridor.
The Stage 2 expansion of Mater Private Hospital Springfield will deliver 174 public beds for the community – meeting its health needs for decades to come.
The new Mater Hospital Springfield, which will offer both private and public services, will also include an emergency department, intensive care unit and Mater’s renowned maternity services – ensuring local women can give birth in their own community.
A new access road has been built to the expansion site and workers from the John Holland Group are now on the ground preparing for the commencement of major construction works in the coming months.
The project is being delivered through a partnership between Mater – the state’s largest notfor-profit healthcare provider – and the Queensland Government which will contribute $177m.
Mater Private Hospital Springfield Executive Officer Suzanne Hawksley said the hospital’s existing services would remain operational throughout the expansion project.
“It’s exciting for Mater, our patients and the community to see the progress that’s being made on Stage 2,” Ms Hawksley said.
“We’ve been serving the people of Springfield since 2015 and we know that this community wants, needs and deserves a full range of health and hospital services.
“A huge amount of work has already gone on behind the scenes to plan the new building and our services, including extensive consultation with medical specialists and stakeholders.
“My team are so proud to be part of a project that we know will deliver outstanding, compassionate services to Greater Springfield.”
The early construction works phase will include the relocation of inground services and utilities, relocation of loading and ambulance docks and doctors’ parking areas.
The Western Corridor is one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, with an increasing demand for health services.
The population is projected to grow by 37 per cent by 2031, with an extra 100,000 people forecast to call Springfield and Ripley Valley region home in the next five years.
The Stage 2 project will create more than 700 jobs during construction and more than 1,000 new frontline health jobs once operational.