Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-15 Daily Xml

Contents

ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:10): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations, representing the Minister for Health, questions about the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: At present, the RAH exists on the Parklands, with the government's proposed new RAH planned for the North Terrace rail yards, with frontage to the River Torrens. There has been much debate whether the RAH should be redeveloped on its current site or whether a new hospital on the North Terrace rail yards is the more viable option. My questions are:

1. Developing a sprawling, low-level hospital building on potentially one of the most valuable sites in Adelaide with river frontage is not maximising the site's highest and best development potential. What assessment, if any, has been made of the loss of value by using this site as proposed?

2. I understand the current site includes five heritage listed buildings that cannot be demolished and that remaining buildings, ultimately, will be removed and the land reverted to parklands. What assessment, if any, has been made of the lost opportunity cost of this site?

3. What is the capitalised whole of life cost for doctors and teaching staff in terms of time and distance of commuting between the new site and existing facilities such as the Medical School, Adelaide University, the University of South Australia and the Hanson Centre for Cancer Research?

4. What is the accumulative cost of refurbishing and renovating the existing buildings over the past five years, and how much more is likely to be spent before the new hospital is built?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions and will refer them to the Minister for Health in another place and bring back a response.