Work is set to begin on Adelaide’s new Women’s and Children’s Hospital – marking a significant milestone in this important project – with a $306 million package of early works now finalised.

Plans have been finalised to deliver the first stages of the project, including the hospital’s eight-storey car park and energy facility that will start construction next year.

Site testing has already begun and the first early works will begin this month.

Construction of the hospital’s 1,300 space car park is due to commence in the second quarter of next year and is scheduled for completion in early 2027.

The car park will provide significantly more parking capacity for staff and visitors compared to the current Women’s and Children’s Hospital carpark which has about 940 spaces.

The car park building’s thoughtful design will complement the surrounding park lands.

The car park roof will house solar PV panels with a 600kw capacity. It will include 150 bike parking spaces, and facilities for bike riders including shower and change rooms.

Work will also commence on the hospital’s two-storey central energy facility, located to the north of the car park. This will accommodate the hospital’s electrical and mechanical engineering equipment including the generators and cooling towers. The hospital will be the first 100 per cent electric public hospital in SA.

Site testing has already commenced, with the erection of construction hoarding, site amenities and early works to commence this month. Works include pruning and tree removal and the widening of Bonython Trail and Gaol Road – supporting future construction and ensuring access to the Old Adelaide Gaol and SAPOL Thebarton Barracks.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has confirmed the project does not have a significant impact on the National Heritage listed park lands, meeting the requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The early works will also include important relocation of engineering services that will continue to service the Old Adelaide Gaol, the construction of the stormwater outlet structure and associated pipework, and the first phase of demolition on the car park site.

The new WCH will be located inside the Adelaide BioMed City and close to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. With 414 overnight beds, the new hospital will have 56 extra overnight beds compared to the current WCH, plus a 20-bed future expansion capacity.

With the cooperation of SAPOL, early works will proceed while enabling the Mounted Operations Unit to continue onsite while their new home at Gepps Cross continues to be built.

Design works for the hospital building are in full swing, consultation with clinicians is well underway and the project is on track for completion by 2030-31.

For more information and new artist impressions visit the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital project website.

Quotes

Attributable to Chris Picton

The new Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be instrumental in improving the hospital care of South Australian women and children.

Progressing these early works is an exciting milestone in delivering a hospital which will serve our South Australian community for many decades to come.

We know from listening to families how important improving access to car parking at the hospital will be – and that’s why this new car park will include 1,300 spaces.

I am delighted to see work soon to be underway after the many delays under the previous small site.

Attributable to interim WCHN Chief Executive Officer, Rebecca Graham

The new WCH will provide much-needed facilities to support our growing community. We are dedicated to providing exceptional care to all of our patients, our women, children and young people. The new WCH’s facilities have been carefully designed and considered to enable us to do just that, long into the future.

The commencement of these works shows that the delivery of our new hospital is well on track – we are delighted by the progress.

Attributable to New WCH Project Director, Brendan Hewitt

The delivery of the hospital’s car park and energy facility will be critical in supporting the future construction of the hospital over its construction timeframe.

The new WCH project remains on schedule. Our dedicated project team are committed to getting on, and delivering, this truly inspirational project.