The Sydney Children’s Hospital and Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre has reached a major milestone, with construction of the new 12-storey building reaching its highest point.
Honouring a long-held construction tradition a native water gum tree, which is native to the area, was lifted onto the roof of the new building.
Federal health minister Mark Butler joined his NSW counterpart Ryan Park, Federal Member for Kingsford Smith Matt Thistlethwaite and Member for Coogee Marjorie O’Neill for the ‘topping out’ ceremony.
Stage one of the Sydney Children’s Hospital and Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre is on track for completion in late 2025.
It will include a new children’s intensive care unit and emergency department, as well as a new Neuroscience Comprehensive Care and Research Centre.
The news has been welcomed by one Sydney family whose son Austin Alexander had a condition that could be treated by the neuroscience facility when it opens.
Austin was a former patient at the children’s hospital. He was diagnosed with a spinal cord stroke and underwent lengthy rehab to return to walking again.
His dad Craig Alexander said the three months Austin was in hospital was a rollercoaster.
“What was completely shocking in the beginning and hard to believe, I think, is every parent’s nightmare getting news like that,” he said.
“It felt like a lot of bad luck to be honest, but since then I feel that we have been very lucky and I feel very grateful.
“I feel grateful to the nurses and the doctors that we had. We always had amazing medical experts.”
Austin’s mum Nerida Alexander said they were able to access some of the most senior doctors in NSW through Sydney Kids.
“We were really lucky the children’s hospital was attached to the Prince of Wales so we were able to access therapies that weren’t used for that injury before,” she said.
“We are super grateful the right people came along at the right time,” she said.
The $658m project is part of a $1.5bn investment in health as part of the Randwick Health and Innovation Precinct.
The Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre will include advanced laboratory spaces and deliver integrated, specialist cancer treatment, education and research, aiming to transform childhood cancer treatment and become one of the world’s leading paediatric cancer centres.
The state and federal governments have partnered with Children’s Cancer Institute, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network including the Kids Cancer Centre, and UNSW Sydney to plan and deliver Australia’s first Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre within the new children’s hospital and university buildings on site.
Philanthropic contributions have also been provided from Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, Minderoo Foundation and Children’s Cancer Institute.
Mr Butler said the exciting milestone was another step towards delivering a state-of-the-art health facility that will transform paediatric care for generations to come.
“Once complete, the new health facility will be world-class, bringing together leading clinicians, researchers and educators under the one roof,” he said.
Mr Park said the project was about significantly improving health outcomes for kids and their families, by offering them the highest level of care.
“This project will deliver a new children’s emergency department, emergency short-stay unit, and ICU and a new paediatric virtual care centre which will provide care to patients across the state,” he said.
“There has been extensive consultation to develop this new building with over 1000 people involved, to ensure we deliver a space which feels like home to families facing their toughest times.”
Mr Thistlethwaite said with the project reaching its highest point now, our community has a better idea of just what will be on offer when the new hospital is completed.
“This redevelopment of Sydney Children’s Hospital has created more than a thousand jobs, which is a really welcome boost to our local economy,” he said.
Ms O’Neill said she was very proud of this major investment in paediatric healthcare for our community here in Randwick and in surrounding areas, which is now coming to fruition.
“There are extraordinarily talented and committed healthcare staff who work here, so it’s terrific that they will have these state of the art facilities to provide great care to our community,” she said.