By Bonny Burrows
Cardinia Shire may soon have its own hospital complete with an emergency department, intensive care unit and eight operating theatres.
The private hospital is part of the proposed Cardinia Health Precinct which would see more than 2000 health professionals work and live close to the Officer South site or, in some instances, at the location in specialised housing.
Plans for the precinct are in their very early stages, with councillors at the 24 July Cardinia Council special meeting voting to seek State Government authorisation to rezone 27 hectares of the site, bordered by Cardinia Road to the east, an extension of Thompsons Road to the south and Gum Scrub Creek to the west to support the development.
If approved, the health precinct will contain the shire’s first hospital since the original Pakenham Bush Hospital.
It will include a specialised medical centre, a stand-alone day surgery unit, a 228-bed aged care facility, residential hotel for precinct employees and the general public, a childcare centre, retail outlets, and a 600 square metre gymnasium and wellness centre.
The development is expected to create 1627 full-time jobs during construction and an ongoing 2884 jobs once complete.
The council believes a precinct of this size with onsite accommodation would go “a long way” towards keeping workers in the area.
Currently, 70 per cent of Cardinia Shire residents of working age travel outside the shire for employment.
According to the council, “the south-east corridor is experiencing high level of population growth but low or delayed delivery of jobs”.
“The number of jobs available is lower than the number of people working in the area and, as a result, residents are travelling long distances to their jobs,” the precinct’s proposal reads.
Councillor Michael Schilling said that this was the definitely the case in the healthcare sector.
“This is a massive development to go ahead in Cardinia. In my understanding, 1600 jobs is not something we have seen or will see for a long time,” Cr Schilling said.
He said there were no opportunities within Cardinia for those trained in healthcare to work in an acute setting – the nearest hospitals being in Berwick.
“Health professionals at the moment have to leave the area and travel down the Monash for work,” Cr Schilling said.
“If approved, this development would be great for healthcare workers around Pakenham.”
Cr Schilling said a health precinct within the shire would also lead to greater patient outcomes, slashing travel times and stress of relocating for treatment.
And aware that a development of this scale would not be without its challenges, the council has made it clear that the hospital was its first priority.
To accommodate the project, the council has said that it is willing for the residential component to be dropped if necessary.
It has said it will put a clause in any contracts to ensure that no residential land is subdivided or developed until the hospital’s construction is underway.
“If the residential component of this amendment was to cause issues with receiving authorisation from the Minister for Planning, council should consider re-seeking authorisation for the hospital component only,” the precinct’s proposal reads.
“A potential development of this significance should not be held up by residential land which Cardinia Shire has an adequate supply of.”
The council will seek authorisation from Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne to amend the land.
If approval, the planning documents will then go out to exhibition for public and stakeholder feedback.
