Major development employs local workers and apprentices

Development on St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba’s new $15 million expansion is supporting locals during construction, with more than 400 individuals employed across the course of the project, including apprentices.

The project will see new emergency and radiology departments built at the hospital.

Construction also included a refurbishment of the maternity ward including a new state of the art birthing suite which has already opened.

Construction will take approximately 12 months.

Hutchinson Builders won the contract to build the new facility through an ECI process delivering a great design considering the Principal’s Project requirements.

Hutchinson Builders are Australian owned and committed to building local capacity and advancing the local economic, environmental and social objectives for the long-term wellbeing of the community.

Hutchinson Builders Team Leader, Joe Watson, said around 80% of those working on the site will be locally sourced.

“We expect peak daily workforce to reach 50 people, with roughly 400 different individuals to be involved over the course of the project.”

“We also estimated 20 apprentices will be included in the construction,” Mr Watson said.

The development will house a range of modern equipment as an upgrade of existing services for future capacity.

Jaden Frame, TSBE Health General Manager said, “we understand the health needs of our community is increasing and it is exciting to see St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba’s continued investment and expansion of services.”

“These projects and associated infrastructure spend help position our region as regional leaders in the health care sector.”

Working on this project with Hutchinson Builders is local business Specialised Property Consulting (SPC) who are engaged directly by St Vincent’s Hospital as their Project Manager and as the contract Superintendent.

Gordon Grover, Director of Projects and Developments at SPC said, “it is great to be part of the team and a project which is going to provide great benefits to the region, not only now through the direct engagement of local subcontractors and suppliers during construction.”

“This project will almost certainly keep people in jobs during this challenging time, but also provide the community with access to better healthcare options into the future.”