Hospital green light
Council gives go-ahead for Ramsay Surgical Centre
A historic Townsville building will be demolished after the green light was given for Australia’s largest private hospital operator to build a new shortstay hospital.
Ramsay Health Care had lodged a development application to build the Ramsay Surgical Centre, a two-storey building on a 8290sq m block at 97-99 Charters Towers Road, Hyde Park.
Employing 77 staff, the facility would include 36 inpatient beds, six operating theatres, and one procedure room, offering a range of services, including orthopaedics, general surgery, endoscopy, ear nose and throat, reproductive services and gynaecology. Despite objections from a resident about increased traffic, and competitor Mater Private Hospital Townsville saying it conflicted with the planning scheme and was inconsistent with benchmarks for development on-site, Wednesday’s full meeting of council waved through the development application.
The bulk of the block was already zoned for medical and hospital use, but Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said a small section needed to be assessed for a material change of use.
“I think what Ramsey has done here is they’ve put their case forward, they have adequate parking … they exceeded equalled or exceeded the scheme requirements,” Ms
Hill said. “You would argue particularly for day surgery, there’s obviously a need for that sort of servicing in the community, so the council felt that it was suitable to allow it to move forward.”
Listed on Townsville’s pla
ces of cultural heritage value, but not the Queensland Heritage Register, a historic building at the site – formerly Arties Music Centre and a dental practice – will be demolished.
Council officers would investigate the impact of increased traffic flow and whether removing some onstreet parking spots along Clarendon St would improve safety aspects, she said.
Urbis associate director Matthew Brown has previously quoted Hardes data showing Townsville had a shortfall of 3487 same-day admissions and 2737 overnight admissions during the 2020-21 financial year. With the population expected to be 282,281 by 2041, he said the hospital would provide “clear benefits in providing health and medical services to accommodate the needs of Townsville, both now and into the future”.
The Mater Private Hospital Townsville and Ramsay Health Care were asked for comment.