Upgrade in poor health

A CAIRNS Hospital upgrade worth $70m was supposed to be completed in five months’ time – but the construction contract has still not been awarded.

The hospital’s ageing mental health unit was knocked down last year amid controversy over the demolition contract being awarded to a Townsvillebased firm rather than local operators.

Former health minister Steven Miles issued a statement in February 2020 saying construction would be “starting this year”, but nothing has been done.

Now his replacement, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath, says the construction contract is about to be issued.

The $70m project was due for completion by February 2022, but Ms D’Ath did not answer questions about whether the budget and schedule were still on track.

“A tender will be issued this week for the new Cairns Hospital mental health unit. As we finalise the model of care with key stakeholders, patients will continue to receive the mental health care they need in the existing Cairns Hospital,” she said.

The unit’s closure meant patients had to be relocated and take up space in the hospital’s D Block. Bed shortages have been well documented in recent months with multiple code-yellow declarations – which refer to “infrastructure and other internal emergencies”.

The proposed new three-storey unit is only expected to deliver five new beds on top of the 48 that previously existed in the mental health ward.

Unlike its predecessor it will stream with natural light, have calming views over the Esplanade and hopefully reduce physical attacks and escapes.

“We’re continuing to invest in additional services to create a full tertiary hospital in Cairns, including a new ED along with a health and innovation precinct in partnership with JCU,” Ms D’Ath said.

The mental health ward joins the $176m Cairns Convention Centre extension and refurbishment as a top project plagued by delays. The convention centre completion date has been pushed back to December 2022.

It was set to begin construction after the Commonwealth Games basketball preliminaries at the centre in April 2018, but instead started in July 2020.

The state government’s best practice laws – which led to carpenters earning more than $180,000 wages on the convention centre – will not apply to the mental health unit since its budget falls below the $100m trigger point.