Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has unveiled the location of a planned new hospital for Bundaberg.
Visiting the city on Wednesday the Premier spoke at the 60-hectare site in the southern suburb of Thabeban, chosen after more than 40 sites were canvassed.
"It will mean a fresh start, a brand new hospital, and that business case will be coming to the Government in 2021 to determine the exact size and shape it will take," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"This is the best site. It is a huge piece of land, but not only that — it is floodproof.
"It will serve the growing community of Bundaberg and Wide Bay for many years to come.
"I hope the community is very happy today."
The Government announced its commitment to build a new hospital two years ago and it was expected it would be another three to four years before the new hospital was completed.
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service chair Peta Jamieson said the service was "absolutely thrilled" with the commitment to the project, which had attracted a "huge level" of community interest.
"We know the Bundaberg Hospital had reached its stage of needing to be looked at. We were, of course, impacted by the flood. It's a small parcel of land so it allows no room for development," she said of the existing Bundaberg Hospital site west of the CBD.
"And we need to cater for the future growth of our population.
"By 2032 we'll have 50 per cent of our population … over the age of 65, so that cohort of our population is so crucial.
"We need to make sure we're providing the care closer to home."
Ms Jamieson said work on the design phase would now begin in earnest with stakeholders including Bundaberg Regional Council advising on issues including road access and cultural heritage.
State member criticises 'strange' location
LNP member for Bundaberg David Batt criticised the State Government's choice.
"It's a very strange place to be … in an industrial estate," Mr Batt said.
"With the airport on one side, a gun club on the other, on a B-double route with lots of industry happening every day, it doesn't seem to be a great place."
Mr Batt said there were "plenty" of other private blocks of land offered up for the new hospital site.
"This hospital will have to do the people of Bundaberg for the next 50 to 100 years," he said.
"So we do need to get this right."
Mr Batt suggested a site in the city's east would be more suitable, closer to planned growth areas.
"The next 20 years, the plans for expansion are all in relation to the area out towards Kalkie and Bargara, the Kepnock area; there are several sites out there that I'm aware of that were offered up," he said.
He said the LNP, if it won the upcoming October election, would commit to "whatever the Government signs" pending a commitment in the budget, delayed due to coronavirus.
"Until the Government puts a budget out — we don't even know if any money will be in this budget … because we don't have a budget."
