Another proposal to expand Wollongong Private Hospital is in the pipeline. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
A proposal to expand Wollongong Private Hospital, including a nine-storey extension, has returned to the planning process less than two years after a similar submission for the site was withdrawn.
The current expansion plan includes the construction of a new western wing for the existing hospital as well as an extension to basement levels, plus an additional basement level for radiation oncology.
A new emergency department, satellite imaging, additional patient units, an expanded intensive care unit, operating theatres, a recovery area and a central sterile supply department are also among the proposal’s features.
The possibility of expansion at the facility has been revisited several times in the past decade.
An application was lodged in July 2022 for a similar-looking project, except it included demolishing more structures, among them a heritage item.
That loss of heritage was one of the issues raised throughout the submission process, as were concerns relating to height, floor space ratio non-compliances, traffic and parking, design, public domain and landscaping.
In 2016, a proposed smaller project included a six-storey extension to the hospital, which had just opened.
Plans were then amended in 2017, but access, transport and traffic were seen to be problems, with a lack of additional car parking considered.
All proposals and appeals were later withdrawn.
Now, it’s back to the drawing board with site owners now preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the latest version. A spokesperson for the Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Department hoped the owners would consider what they’d learned so far.
“The department has encouraged the applicant to ensure that issues raised on the previous proposal are addressed in its latest proposal,” the spokesperson said.
There will also be opportunities for stakeholders and the community to have their say before the department decides whether work can proceed.
“Once the applicant lodges an EIS, the community, City of Wollongong Council and government agencies will be invited to have their say and provide feedback,” the spokesperson said.
“The applicant would then be required to address issues raised through a Submissions Report before the department assesses the proposal before determination.”
Wollongong Private has been operated by Ramsay Health Care since it opened in 2016 and its board approved the previous $200 million extension in 2023.
The hospital’s CEO at the time, Steven Rajcany, was eager to get the work underway.
“Once we receive DA approval, we can start within a matter of months. If we get the go-ahead shortly, it can be completed in the first half of 2025,” he said in 2023.
“We look forward to being able to provide more leading healthcare services for the local community and alleviating some of the pressures on the public health system.”
But the same commitment has not yet been assured for the newest version of the expansion.
“As the hospital operator, we’re in early discussions with the landlord about potential opportunities to expand the facility and services,” a Ramsay spokesperson said.
Once developers submit the EIS, which will have to consider aspects of the development’s role in the Wollongong Health Precinct Strategy, a DA will be lodged to later go on public exhibition.
For more information on the development, visit the NSW Planning Portal.
