Question Time

New Women's and Children's Hospital

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): My question is to the Premier. How much taxpayer money has been spent to date on the government's new Women's and Children's Hospital project?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:04): It would be quite a substantial amount, as the Leader of the Opposition would be familiar with. If you drive down Port Road at the moment, you would see the abolition of the old Thebarton barracks site, the clearing of it. There is construction activity underway and enormous amounts of civil works.

In fact, it's quite interesting if you look at what this government has achieved in the course of a couple years at that particular location, and then look just on the other side of the train line, where the former government on that handkerchief were going to build the Women's and Children's site; there is nothing—nothing. There is just the same grass that was planted back in circa 2010-14, when the old RAH was being constructed. There has been zero activity in four years. Across the other side of the train line, where we are building this new hospital, an extraordinary amount of civil works and construction activity is very much underway.

I am advised more specifically that there has obviously been a substantial amount of investment made in the preliminary design works that are underway, through the discussions that have occurred with clinicians on the site. I am more than happy to take on notice those numbers. I have at hand numbers that we have spent on making sure that the existing Women's and Children's Hospital is sustained as best as possible, but I am more than happy to take on notice any sort of specific number for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition in regard to the project that has been undertaken thus far.