Premier Peter Gutwein and Minister for Health Jeremy Rockliff have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Calvary Health Care to accelerate the delivery of their $120 million co-located private hospital.
Premier Peter Gutwein said this agreement will pave the way for development of a new co-located hospital adjacent to the Launceston General Hospital, enabling better health services and boosting attraction and retention of health professionals, including specialists to the community.
“Accelerating the delivery of the development of a co-located hospital will bring an estimated investment of around $120 million to the city, which is expected to create 1,400 direct and indirect jobs in the building and construction sector,” Mr Gutwein said.
“The Tasmanian Liberal Government will work with Calvary to ensure the project takes into account the needs of public and private patients and staff, and will deliver a complementary mix of services to the LGH.”
Minister for Health Jeremy Rockliff said under the terms of the MOU we will finalise a package of transaction documents, including a land sale agreement to sell the land at 52 Frankland Street to Calvary, at market value, with a covenant that it must be used to deliver health services. The package will also include an agreement to deliver a covered walkway bridge to connect the two hospitals.
“It will also be subject to certain conditions which include construction commencing within two years of a development application being approved.
“Co-located private and public hospitals have been extremely successful and beneficial to communities across Australia, and we know they can help attract and help to retain difficult to recruit specialists to our healthcare system.
“This will deliver additional and complementary services to support and reduce pressure on the LGH.”
This MOU, which fulfils a commitment in our plan for our first 100 days, is an exciting milestone which demonstrates the progress being made by the Gutwein majority Liberal Government.