Manly Hospital Site

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-113818

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)

Manly Hospital Site

Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (12:48):

:23 I move:

That this House:

(1)Commends the Housing and Property Group within the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for the development of the draft master plan for the old Manly Hospital site.

(2)Thanks the community members who have contributed to the master plan via their roles on the Project Steering Advisory Committee.

(3)Acknowledges the draft master plan reflects the guiding principles of the project and will deliver new public spaces for future generations.

(4)Notes the draft master plan is on display and seeking feedback from the community until at least 31 August 2020.

It gives me great pride to speak in support of the motion I have brought to the House. This motion takes us back to 1924 and the Manly Act No. 55, which stated it was:

An Act to sanction the construction of a public hospital at Manly; and for purposes connected therewith.

The bill received assent on 23 December 1924. It also states:

BE it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly of New South Wales in Parliament …

The plan of the works is the plan marked "Manly Peace Memorial Hospital," signed by the Secretary for Public Works and countersigned by the Acting Government Architect, and deposited in the public office of the said Secretary.

The Act to create the old Manly Hospital, which retained the original name of the Manly Peace Memorial Hospital, was passed in 1924. Now in 2020 we are breathing life into the old hospital site. I commend the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, specifically the Property NSW team, who have worked hand in glove with my local community to bring them along in imagining a future use of the old Manly Hospital site that will continue to provide health and wellness services not only to the people of Manly but also to people from across the State.

The site is set up on North Head. It has a path and a nearby road that led to our wonderful Collins Flat Beach. The hospital is set against a backdrop of the national park with stunning views across Sydney Harbour. For some years the community and the Government have been working collectively to devise ways of the hospital continuing to provide health and wellness services to people in the community. We are now at the final stages of preparation of the master plan and the planning proposal that ultimately will be lodged with the council. This demonstrates the smart and sensible use of government land that has been held for nearly a century to continue to evolve and be modernised in a way that will deliver a mixture of community and health services to people who need that most.

I pay special tribute to the team that has worked on this project for many years. In particular, I applaud the efforts of Ray Mathieson, the chairman of the Little Manly Community Forum, who I acknowledged previously in this House during my inaugural speech. He has been a champion of ensuring that the overall design and plans for the future of the hospital site speak directly to achieving the aims and goals of the community of Manly. A number of other people have worked or participated as part of the community advisory committee. In particular, I acknowledge Ms Denise Keen, the president of the Greater Manly Residents Forum, who has ensured that the views of people in her part of the community also have informed the final plan that will be lodged with the council.

One of the most exciting elements of the project is that the site will contain not only a mixture of health and wellbeing services but will continue to provide a rest stop for people doing the Bondi to Manly Walk or for those who enjoy the walking tracks around North Head and the national park. The site will include a cafe and restaurant where people will be able to stop and enjoy the surrounds of the national park. Ultimately, the site will provide access to a part of Sydney that essentially has been locked up for nearly a century. It has been used as a hospital that has told the story of Manly with many births and wonderful moments, but equally it has been a place of pain and anguish for many people who went to the hospital for treatment and care.

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The new project will open up the site and breathe new life into it. It will enable people to make use of it. The National Parks and Wildlife Service is connecting walking tracks and pathways that adjoin the site to allow people to enjoy one of the most magnificent places on Sydney Harbour. The Property NSW team of the New South Wales Government has been wonderfully led by Tahlee Smith who, alongside Sarah Bennett, has worked with me to ensure that we deliver the best outcome not only for the people of Manly but also for people across the State by revitalising and breathing new life into the old Manly Hospital site, which is entirely fitting. The discussion began in 1924 and led to Act No. 55 being passed to permit construction of the old public hospital at Manly. I note the first stage cost 69,000, of which residents contributed 18,666 to meet the overall cost.

In today's values, which have been provided to me by the Manly, Warringah and Pittwater Historical Society, the cost would be $144 million with residents providing $39 million. The project will involve the adaptive re-use of the heritage parts of the building and the opening up of the site to the community, which is incredibly exciting. The site will remain a health and wellness precinct. In many respects this is an offer from the people of Manly to people from across New South Wales to come and rest, recuperate and enjoy receiving health and wellbeing services and care at the old Manly Hospital. I commend the motion to the House.

Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (12:55):

:24 I support the motion moved by my colleague and friend the member for Manly. I congratulate him on bringing to the attention of the House the old Manly Hospital site draft master plan. The development of the draft master plan for the old Manly Hospital site demonstrates the Coalition's commitment to investing in the health services that our communities want and need, and shows that this is happening across our entire State. In my own electorate of Miranda the New South Wales Government is investing $81.5 million to deliver an operating theatre upgrade at the Sutherland Hospital. The upgrade will include eight new state-of-the-art operating theatres, two new endoscopy suites, a surgical short stay unit and recovery, new staff amenities and workspaces, facilities for admission and discharge, and a new central sterilising services department. The project will deliver a contemporary operating theatre environment, improve efficiencies and access to services, and enable implementation of new models of care and surgical clinical pathways.

That significant investment will make a huge difference to patient care and ensure that our growing shire community can access world-class services closer to home. I am sure Mr Temporary Speaker, the member for Heathcote, is very happy about that. The Sutherland Hospital Operating Theatre Upgrade Project will build on and support the $62.9 million expansion already delivered during the last term of Government. Sutherland Hospital redevelopment stage one included a new and expanded emergency department with a short stay unit, a new general medical unit, a new general surgical inpatient unit and an expanded critical care medical unit. Boasting the latest medical technologies, the redevelopment has greatly benefited staff and patients alike.

In late 2018 I joined the Attorney General, and member for Cronulla, to open the Caringbah ambulance superstation, which is yet another example of the Coalition Government's dedication to health services for all communities. It is a major investment in our local health services, ensuring our community receives the best possible medical care when they need it most. Located alongside the Sutherland Hospital complex, this modern facility is supporting our highly trained paramedics in their lifesaving work. It includes capacity for an emergency operations centre to respond to major emergencies, parking bays for up to 10 emergency ambulance vehicles, a logistics and storage area, a purpose-built medication room and administration office areas and amenities. The New South Wales Government's investment in this superstation is just another part of our efforts to ensure that we have the infrastructure to support the health needs of local communities in the shire for many years to come.

In the most recent health announcement for our community I was incredibly pleased to join the Minister for Health and Medical Research at the Sutherland Hospital last month to announce a further $7 million investment to purchase an MRI machine. With around 800 patients at the Sutherland Hospital requiring MRI services each year and needing to be transferred to the St George Hospital or private providers for scans, this new medical technology will allow our local community to access MRI services quicker and closer to home. This is a fantastic outcome for patients, carers and health staff who have been calling for this vital technology for some time. I know that Mr Temporary Speaker was as delighted as I was to make this much-needed announcement for our local communities.

I have recounted some of the important health wins for my local community. I again take the opportunity to commend the efforts of my colleague the member for Manly, who clearly is dedicated to delivering for his own community by the establishment of a vibrant health and wellbeing sanctuary at the old Manly Hospital site. This Government is clearly committed to providing the people of New South Wales with access to world‑class health services when they need them the most in each and every one of the 93 electorates in this State. I look forward to continuing to deliver these vital projects for my community. Again, I commend the member for Manly for bringing this important motion to the House.

Ms TANIA MIHAILUK (Bankstown) (12:59):

:40 I, too, take this opportunity to commend the member for Manly for bringing on this very important motion. It is indeed an important opportunity for each of us in this House to have our say on hospitals and hospital sites. I commend the member and also commend the Department of Planning, Industry, and Environment for undertaking a master plan process for the old hospital site at Manly. It has provided an opportunity for Manly residents to have their say about their vision for the future of that site. I am delighted they are able to have a variety of facilities for health and wellbeing, and for open and community spaces that they can forever be proud of in Manly, together with their new hospital.

Of course, I would like the residents of Bankstown and East Hills to have the same opportunities that the residents of Manly have had. Prior to the last election, the Government announced there would be a new $1.3 billion hospital; 18 months later we still do not know where that hospital will be. We have made requests for information. On asking the health Minister for further information, I have been advised that it is all commercial in confidence. I have been told that six sites have been suggested as part of the process, but all other information is commercial in confidence. Residents in my electorate and in East Hills have concerns about where the new hospital will be. There is great concern that the hospital could end up in the Bankstown CBD area, where we have all sorts of congestion issues and where we may end up with a metro station and interchange that will take up a large part of the centre of the CBD.

In my view, there certainly would be no room for a hospital of the scale that I would expect for Bankstown. We are a growing community and I expect a state‑of‑the‑art hospital. I also expect the current site to be considered as a potential site for the hospital redevelopment. The Government should also consider the educational facility at the Bankstown Senior College site across the road. I do not think that is being considered. What concerns me is what will happen to the old site at Bankstown. When, eventually, a new site is found for the new hospital—wherever that might be—what will happen to the old site on Eldridge Road? Will we have the opportunity to have a master plan, like the residents of Manly, and to participate in the steering committee to set the vision for the site? Will the residents of Bankstown be given the same opportunity to decide on the vision for that old site should the new hospital be at a different location? What will happen to that site? Will it just be sold off to a developer to redevelop? That is what I expect will probably end up happening.

I commend the member for Manly for ensuring that the residents of Manly have been given an opportunity to be part of a very important and significant process of master planning their new hospital site. I put the Government on notice and I ask the health Minister and the planning Minister that, should the current site not be utilised as a future hospital, we will be granted the same opportunity in Bankstown to determine what will happen to our old hospital site. I reiterate that our community wants to see a new hospital. We were promised a $1.3 billion hospital and we are still waiting.

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (13:03):

:54 We on this side of the House have committed more than $10.1 billion to health infrastructure over the next four years, till June 2023. That includes the wonderful work that is happening on the northern beaches, and in Manly in particular. I thank the member for Manly for his outstanding efforts—

Mr Matt Kean:

Say how good-looking he is.

Mr MARK COURE:

No, I will not say that.

Mr Matt Kean:

He's the best‑looking member of the Parliament.

Mr MARK COURE:

Second best-looking. Across New South Wales more than 100 projects are underway and many more are in the pipeline. This is the largest portfolio of health capital works anywhere in Australia. A motion such as this on health matters gives me the opportunity to talk about one of the greatest hospitals in Sydney—other than Manly, of course. That is St George Hospital, where we are delivering one of the final stages of a more than $700 million redevelopment two years early. Part of the New South Wales Government's $3 billion COVID‑19 Recovery Plan, the initial injection of $105 million will boost local jobs and the economy. We are getting on with the job of getting stage three built and delivered once and for all.

I hear members in the Chamber asking, "What else have you done at St George Hospital?" When we came to office in 2011, we reopened the hydrotherapy pool that was closed under Labor. Stage one also delivered the new $41 million emergency department. Of course, there is more. Stage two of the redevelopment was completed in October 2017, six months ahead of schedule, and delivered an eight‑level acute service building above the existing emergency department, which was delivered in the previous stage. The new building features additional inpatient beds, a new intensive care high‑dependency unit, a cardio unit, a sterilising services department, a new helipad, and eight additional digital and interventional operating theatres, backed with more parking at the hospital. This is part of our $700 million spend at St George Hospital. I am already speaking to the staff medical council about stage four.

St George Hospital was neglected by Labor for 16 years, and those opposite know it. It was as if the hospital was in some sort of Bermuda Triangle: They just forgot about it for 16 years. The last redevelopment of the hospital was under the Greiner‑Fahey governments. The one before that was the Askin Liberal Government. For St George Hospital—like the hospital at Manly and so many others—Labor is no friend when it comes to health infrastructure. In particular, it is no friend of St George Hospital.

Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (13:07):

:50 In reply: After that breathless and Churchillian contribution from the member for Oatley, it gives me great pleasure to thank all the members who contributed to the debate, starting with the member for Miranda, who very proudly outlined the terrific amount of funding and the contributions that this State Government has made to health services in her area. Those contributions include the theatre upgrade at Sutherland Hospital and the $7 million investment to purchase the MRI machine. I know that supports constituents in her neck of the woods as well. I welcome the contribution of the member for Bankstown, who took the opportunity to raise her views on hospitals. It is better to be asking where the hospital will be than "Will we be getting a hospital?". I encourage her to thank her lucky stars that the Government is investing in her area, and will continue to do so.

The passionate contribution of the member for Oatley was, as always, very much appreciated. His passion for St George Hospital is evident, as is the work that he has done to ensure that his community receives the health services they deserve. As he said, they are getting on with the job down there in Oatley. I started my contribution with the Manly Act No. 55, passed in 1924. to sanction the construction of public hospital at Manly. When we lodge the planning proposal for future use of the site we will be continuing the rich history of health services delivered on that site at North Head. It is a beautiful open space, with the national park adjoining it and harbour views. It has a special place in the hearts of the Manly and the northern beaches communities.

I acknowledge the Minister for Health and Medical Research, Mr Brad Hazzard, for his involvement in and support of the project. I thank the Minister for Water, Property and Housing, Ms Melinda Pavey, and others for the terrific job they have done. We will shortly lodge the planning proposal with the council, which will set in stone the future use of the site by the public. It is our gift to the people of New South Wales. The hospital site at North Head, Manly, will be open to anyone needing health and wellbeing services. People will be able to enjoy this beautiful space whilst receiving much-needed health and wellbeing services. It has been a long journey. Again, I thank all members for their contributions to this debate. I commend the motion to the House.

TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Lee Evans):

The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Motion agreed to.