Local Builder for RHH

The Hodgman Liberal Government has put the critical redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital back on track, and it is creating hundreds of jobs for Tasmanians.

To date, a majority of the refurbishment works packages procured by the Managing Contractor, the John Holland Fairbrother Joint Venture, have been sub-contracted to Tasmanian businesses, with Tasmanian business Fairbrother undertaking approximately $14 million of the refurbishment works.

In total the redevelopment project will inject $1.6 billion into the Tasmanian economy, creating 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Today I’m pleased to announce that Tasmanian Company Fairbrother has won the tender for a purpose-built 54-bed capacity inpatient facility on the Liverpool Street forecourt to allow the new K-Block to be built. This is a further sign the Liberal Government’s Buy Local Policy is working.

The Liverpool Street forecourt facility is a key feature of the new decanting plan for the rescued Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment. The facility is necessary to care for vulnerable patients from B-block, which is to be demolished.

The $22 million facility, which received planning approval in June, will allow mental health and medicine to remain onsite during the construction of K-Block.

The tender price for the temporary facility is cheaper than the former Labor-Green government’s off-site decant plan, which would have cost $30 million and posed unacceptable risks to patient safety.

And, the facility is a long term investment in health service infrastructure. Its modular construction will allow it to be relocated for use at an alternative site after K-Block is completed.

Site enabling works will commence as soon as possible and the temporary facility will be installed in the first quarter of next year.

Work is underway to plan site works and installation to minimise the impacts on patients, visitors and staff at the Royal.
Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health