The $440 million project has marked another significant milestone as it edges closer to completion.
The second and final tower crane – dubbed Jane the Crane – has been removed from the Shoalhaven Hospital redevelopment site in Nowra.
And clearly Jane has earned her rest. According to NSW Health, in the past 12 months the crane has operated for more than 4120 hours and lifted over 25,000 loads, including items weighing up to 10 tonnes.
The 60m crane was named by local student Jack Bartlett from Pleasant Heights Primary School.
Her departure is a significant milestone in the $440 million hospital redevelopment program. Removal of external scaffolding has allowed the first glimpse of the hospital’s new façade and its new name, Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital.
It also paves the way for the internal fit-out to begin. The final concrete pour for the hospital’s future rooftop helipad is also on track for completion in the coming weeks, weather permitting.
The seven-storey building, due for completion in 2026, will expand and modernise services. Once operational, it will provide the majority of emergency, critical care, acute, subacute and non-admitted services locally, reducing the need for patient transfers to Wollongong and Sydney.
Health minister and minister for Illawarra and South Coast Ryan Park said more hospitals meant more beds, more staff and lower wait times.
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“This new hospital will deliver contemporary and expanded hospital services to support the health outcomes for the Shoalhaven community for generations to come,” he said.
“The removal of the final tower crane used to support construction is significant milestone marking the completion of the structural phase of construction and the beginning of the internal fit-out.
“And at Shoalhaven Memorial we’ve doubled the number of T2 emergency patients being treated on time compared to the Liberals, and we’re in the process of rolling out safe staffing ratios.”
South Coast MP Liza Butler welcomed the departure of Jane the Crane as it brought the project closer to completion.
“As the new acute services building takes shape, it’s clear this redevelopment will be transformative for the local community, improving access to high-quality healthcare closer to home,” she said.