Tamworth Hospital Redevelopment

Mr PETER DRAPER: My question is addressed to the Premier. I note that work has started today on the Narrabri hospital. Would the Premier please update the House on the New South Wales Government's commitment to construct a new hospital in Tamworth during this term of the Parliament?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: I am happy to confirm for the member that construction will start in this term and the project is on schedule, despite the campaign of misinformation The Nationals are running, and I would remind the House that there were two main candidates at the last election and the member for Tamworth was the only one supporting the redevelopment of his hospital.

Mr Andrew Stoner: That's a lie.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Your candidate stood up and said it was a waste of money redeveloping the hospital.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of The Nationals will cease that type of interjection. The Leader of The Nationals is on two calls to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The $2 million allocated in the budget to commence the planning of a new Tamworth health campus is on track, is scheduled, and I can confirm for him construction will start in this term. The planning will involve three steps. The first step is the clinical services plan, which will determine the type of services that will be delivered from the hospital.

Mrs Jillian Skinner: You have one?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Yes, you do a clinical services plan when you build a hospital. The next bit might surprise you as well: Step 2 involves the project definition plan, and what that is about is determining what type of facilities will be provided at the hospital, for example, the size of the intensive care unit, the size of the emergency department and the number of beds. So the first step is to determine what type of services will be provided from the hospital; the second is to define the type of facilities that will be provided at the hospital; and the third step in the planning phase is the project procurement plan, and that part of the planning determines how you procure the hospital and the actual structure of the hospital. What we are committed to doing in Tamworth is not just rebuilding the base hospital but a health campus because Tamworth is also an important teaching campus. What we will be doing is developing a health campus to service the needs of the community in Tamworth and I am happy to confirm for the member that construction will start in this term, and will keep him updated on progress in this very important project.