Job boom for new hospital
MORE than 600 workers will be needed to build the new $534 million Tweed Valley Hospital, touted as the biggest infrastructure project the shire has ever seen.
Tweed MP Geoff Provest said yesterday the state-ofthe-art facility was one step closer, confirming the NSW Government had approved concept plans.
It allows major contractor Lendlease to begin early works at the controversial 771 Cudgen Rd site.
Mr Provest said during campaigning for the recent state election the hospital would be open by 2023.
It will not be a moment too soon – it will cater to a booming population, forecast to grow by 24 per cent over the next two decades.
“It’s so important that health services in the Tweed region can accommodate future growth and the demands of an ageing population,” Mr Provest said.
He added the hospital would give the Tweed economy a shot in the arm and said the project was “forecast to have up to 650 workers onsite at the peak of construction”.
“In addition, there will be a significant increase in operational jobs which will be determined through detailed workforce planning,” he said.
Mr Provest did not outline the number of positions.
However, in an initial statement which was quickly retracted, he said there would be 208 new jobs upon completion.
The announcement coincides with the NSW Ombudsman revealing it dismissed a complaint by Tweed Shire Council relating to the hospital’s location.
Lodged on January 18, that complaint took issue with NSW Infrastructure’s selection process.
But Deputy Ombudsman Chris Wheeler wrote to the council and said no investigation would commence due to a lack of evidence of any wrongdoing.
Councillor James Owen described the complaint as “another waste of council resources”, but Deputy Mayor site Chris Cherry said it was sensible to ensure the process was conducted by the book.
Meanwhile, Minister for Planning Rob Stokes said feedback from the community had been taken into account in what he described as a rigorous assessment process.
“The project has been approved subject to conditions that address the issues that the community has raised, including impacts to state significant farmland,” he said.
Conditions of consent include requirements which need to be met in the hospital’s Stage 1 construction and the Stage 2 development application for the hospital design.
That includes reducing impacts of noise, dust and air quality on the surrounding residents and visitors, ongoing consultation, reuse of topsoil for landscaping or agricultural purposes and identifying possible opportunities for using edible plants in the landscape design.
The NSW Government will assess a separate Stage 2 application for the detailed design, construction and operation of the hospital.