State Planning Commission championed to make Burnside Hospital decision
The state planning minister has leapfrogged the City of Burnside in the decision-making process for the redevelopment of a $65 million private hospital at Toorak Gardens.
The State Planning Commission has been appointed to undertake the assessment of the Burnside Hospital’s $65 million health precinct redevelopment projects.
SCAP will now oversee and assess the development application, rather than the City of Burnside, with Planning Minister Nick Champion saying the project was too important to fail.
Burnside Hospital lodged a development application for the expansion of its Kensington Road site last year.
To be located next to the existing hospital and linked by a footbridge, the three-storey Health Precinct, if approved, will increase the centre’s chemotherapy treatment services by 33 per cent.
It will also add a linear accelerator – used in the radiation treatment of cancer patients – to the hospital’s facilities.
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Two new operating theatres will be built to meet the demand for day surgeries. Once up and running, Burnside Hospital said its new theatres will be able to cater for up to 3500 additional patient procedures per year.
The redeveloped hospital is expected to treat more than 140,000 patients annually.
The state government said the project would support around 200 jobs during construction and more than 70 ongoing healthcare and support roles once operational.
The move to appoint SCAP for assessment of the project and take it out of the City of Burnside’s hands was done to ensure a transparent assessment process would occur, the Minister said.
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SCAP will also assess key planning issues, such as infrastructure, traffic and heritage.
“Given the scale and complexity of this proposal, I have determined that the State Planning Commission is best placed to provide an independent and transparent assessment process,” Minister Champion said.
“The community can have confidence that all planning considerations will be thoroughly examined.
“Major developments like this require a careful balance of community needs, technical requirements and long-term planning objectives.”
Health Minister Chris Picton added that the expansion of health services would be “good news for the South Australian community”.
“Appointing the State Planning Commission to oversee this assessment ensures a rigorous, transparent process that will consider the needs of patients, the local community, and the broader benefits for South Australia.”
The City of Burnside CEO Julia Grant said Council “respects the decision of the State Government in this matter”.
“The City of Burnside understands Burnside Hospital has a critical role to play in supporting the health and wellbeing of residents across the Adelaide metropolitan region, now and in the future,” she said.
