Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Health, 27 May 2021

Mapping out the future of the LGH

Planning is underway to map out the next stages of the Launceston General Hospital Redevelopment to ensure it is well placed to meet future demand and secure Tasmania’s future.

We have today released the draft masterplan for the LGH, which marks an important stage in the ongoing redevelopment of this vital precinct, and was a commitment in our plan for our first 100 days.

The Tasmanian Liberal Government has committed an additional $580 million over 10 years to fund these next exciting stages.

This masterplan is designed for flexibility and takes into consideration that health services will change over time, as care models and service priorities evolve and as advancements in technology are made.

We must be responsive to the changing needs of the community we serve and to our workforce, with a constant focus on improving patient outcomes.

Key major developments outlined in the masterplan include:

  • A new mental health services precinct with contemporary facilities to enable safe and therapeutic, recovery-focused care, designed to enhance privacy;
  • A new inpatient unit purpose-built and designed for the care of older people;
  • A new tower on the current Northside site to provide necessary expansion space to make ward improvements, and to meet projected demand for in-patient and ambulatory care services;
  • A new hospital entry and drop-off zone accessed from Cleveland Street, linked to a new central heart for the hospital to simplify visitor circulation inside the LGH, improve wayfinding and improve pedestrian and vehicle safety on the precinct; and
  • A new administrative and learning hub at 39 Frankland Street, consolidating administrative, learning and collaboration activities into a central hub away from the main campus to help ease congestion and create more space for clinical activities.

This massive injection into contemporary public health facilities for Launceston will see up to 6960 direct and indirect jobs created over the life of the project.

We committed to begin planning and consultation for the construction of the next stages of the LGH masterplan within our first 100 days in office, and we have hit the ground running to deliver better health care and secure Tasmania’s future.

The Draft Masterplan

The draft Masterplan is designed to maximise opportunities to develop land and buildings, to ensure the LGH is equipped to deliver high quality health services now and into the future. The Masterplan addresses projected demand for clinical services and issues identified with current infrastructure in the short, medium, and longer term.

A series of staged developments are proposed, with an ordered sequence of demolition and construction, to limit double decanting of clinical services and to further develop clinical linkages.

You can view the full masterplan here.

Have your say

The Tasmanian Government committed a further $580 million to fund the next stages of the LGH redevelopment over the coming 10 years, to ensure the hospital is well placed to meet future demand.

We are seeking feedback on how best to build the program of works to deliver on the key developments outlined in the Masterplan.

Provide your feedback or register your interest in participating in a focus group

The deadline for responding to the consultation is Friday 16 July 2021.

For further information or if you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]

Anita Dow MP, Acting Labor Leader, 27 May 2021

LGH commitment amounts to pretty pictures and big questions about funding

Newly minted Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff must tell Tasmanians who will fund the much-touted $580 million redevelopment of the Launceston General Hospital and how he will staff additional health services.

Acting Labor Leader Anita Dow said while today’s release of the LGH masterplan was welcome as Tasmania’s health crisis continues to escalate, without a definitive answer on funding and future staffing, it amounted to little more than pretty pictures.

“Tasmanians who badly need new health services will be looking forward to Mr Rockliff and Premier Gutwein releasing comprehensive detail of how it will be funded,” Ms Dow said.

“That’s critical considering the Liberals were clear during the election campaign that this redevelopment – their signature health infrastructure commitment – would be dependent on funding from the Commonwealth.

“But in the recent Federal Budget there was not a cent allocated by the Morrison Government.

“There are also serious concerns about how the Gutwein Government intends to staff the proposed redevelopment, considering the reality is that right now it is struggling to adequately staff the existing LGH.

“Mr Rockliff must release a clear plan on how he intends to not only attract staff but retain staff and how those staff will be funded into the future – not cut as Tasmanians have seen under the two previous failed Health Ministers.

“Without that detail, this major commitment is nothing more than that – an announcement without any true substance.”