February 20, 2025 • 10 mins
Wondering where construction is up to on the new $330mill Eurobodalla Regional Hospital in Moruya?
We corner NSW MP for Bega, Dr Michael Holland for an update on one of the coast's biggest projects in decades.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wow High Far South Coast. In an ideal situation, you
have two linear accelerators in case one goes down. But
that precaution may be not appropriate when you look at
the number of patients that are receiving that therapy, So
you don't want an eight million dollar machine sitting there idle.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hello Ali Droa, thanking you for dropping into this episode
of Iheartfar South Coast. We've had a few locals asking
us where things are at with the new three hundred
and thirty million dollar Urubadella Regional Hospital, which is now
well and truly under construction. In fact, the slab is
now down for the Far South coast first ever pediatric department,
(00:39):
which will all be part of a world class maternity unit.
This new hospital will be a Level four facility and
it comes at the cost of the eventual closure of
the emergency department at Bateman's Bay Hospital as well as
the existing Maruya District Hospital. The new Eurybidella Regional Hospital
(01:00):
bigger than both of those hospitals combined, and it will
service the needs of the entire Urubidella from Naruma to Bateman, Spain.
So considering the project is hitting its construction milestones. We
felt it timely to check in with doctor Michael Holland,
the new South Wales MP for Beager, who says, despite
all of the recent rain, the project is running to schedule.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I can say that this development's really on track, if
not ahead of track. So a really important development in
the health situation for the electorate because this new yur
Abadella Hospital, which will provide things like our first pediatric
unit in the year Abidalla, the first intensive care unit
in the region, and also the level for critical care
(01:45):
unit in terms of the emergency department, close observation unit,
intensive care unit, all working together with the facilities like
an MRI on site fluoroscopy, dental X rays, all these
things that have been provided in the region before. So
we have a fully developed access road, the parking hospital
(02:07):
parking area has been developed and in the next few
months we're looking at the construction of the roundabout to
the site which will be on the Princess Highway. Work
will start on that in a few months time and
is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
(02:29):
So all things going ahead very quickly and on time.
A really important development in the health situation. For the
electorate because this new year Abadella Hospital which will provide
things like our first pediatric unit in the year Abadalla,
the first intensive care unit in the region and also
(02:52):
the level for critical care unit in terms of the
emergency department, close observation unit, intensive care get at all
working together with the facilities like an MRI on site fluroscopy,
detal X rays, all these things that have never been
provided in the region before.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Now much has been made about the inclusion of an
MRII unit at the new hospital. It's something that has
been missing at the Southeast Regional Hospital in Bega. The
inclusion of an MRI at Uribidella requires specialized construction of
a bunker. For now, there is budget for one, but
not a second MRI for backup. Doctor Holland says it
(03:36):
is costly not just to buy a new MRI machine,
but there is the expense around the technical and safety
aspects relating to the building of a special bunker to
house the radiation equipment used in oncology treatments. He says
Eurybidella Regional Hospital would definitely have the space for a
radiation oncology facility one day, as the site is twenty
(03:59):
two hectares in size, but that would require federal government funding.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
The argument about having a second bunker is also in
terms of the ability to expand. In an ideal situation,
you have to linear accelerators in case one goes down,
but that precaution may be not appropriate when you look
at the number of patients that are receiving that therapy,
(04:27):
So you don't want an eight million dollar machine sitting
there idle. I mean, I've said before that there is
a space to expand, but I think it's premature to
look at whether it's a one bunk or two bunker design.
I have said this before that I've committed to opening
a Level four Uribidella hospital in twenty twenty seven. I
(04:49):
did not commit to opening it with radiation oncology. But
if we can achieve the funding through negotiations with the
federal minister and the New South Wales Ministry for Help,
the space is there to start that work, even potentially
before the hospital is completed, or to commence it after
(05:10):
opening more.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Soon on Iheartfar South Coast and the Eurobadella Regional Hospital
with doctor Michael holland New South Wales MP for Bega,
including the latest on the Maruya Bypass.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
I ART Far South Coast, i ART Fast South Coast.
They have hard trouble, lung trouble, problems with their joints.
They may have problems with their weight. That meant that previously,
without a level for critical care service, that those people
(05:49):
would have been told, look, we can't deal with your
problem here in the Yubidella. You do have to go away.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Hello Ali Droua with you and the chance today to
take a d dive into the progression of one of
the Far South Coast biggest projects in decades, the Urubadella
Regional Hospital, which is now well into the construction phase
and aiming to take its first patients by twenty twenty seven.
The hospital will provide the region's first ever pediatric unit,
(06:19):
elevating critical healthcare on the Far South Coast for mums
and bubs, and it will also have highly specialized accident
and emergency care with its own intensive care unit and
a new ed. By the year twenty thirty one, Urubadella's
population will be up over forty thousand and the median
age will be fifty three years old. New South Wales
(06:42):
member for Begger Doctor Michael Holland says it won't just
be the newest members of our community who will benefit
from specialist services.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Our older population have many medical comorbidities. In other words,
they have hard trouble, lung trouble, problems with their joints,
they may have problems with their weight. That meant that previously,
without a Level four critical care service, that those people
would have been told, look, we can't deal with your
(07:13):
problem here in the Yubidella. You do have to go away.
But if we can care for them both in an
acute situation and also in the routine, say surgery situation,
we can keep those people here without that displacement for
both them and their families.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
So to provide the critical care services required, the new
Yurubidella Regional Hospital must meet the Level four classification, thus
replacing the Bateman's Bay Level two Hospital Emergency Department and
the Maruya District Hospital which is a Level three. Now
much has been made on how the proposed Marya bypass
(07:54):
will play a role in the development of the new
hospital site between Albert Street and the Print Highway, and
there has been plenty of concerned residents on Facebook and
other sites who live outside of Maria that are worried
about navigating traffic, congestion and roadworks, and not just on
a daily commute basis, but should an emergency situation arise
(08:17):
and they have to get to hospital, Doctor Hollin says.
While the federal government has yet to allocate funding for
the Marua bypass, the route has been determined.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
The preferred route has been announced, which runs east of
the current hospital site. It'll involve what appears to be
the longest road bridge in New South Wales, so something
like about eight kilometers of road bridge which has to
cross the floodplain north of Maria and join the highway.
(08:51):
It involves the construction of another bridge to the east
of the existing Maria Pacific Bridge highlight bridge. So currently
the preferred root is there. We have works going on
on a bypass at Milk Nulla Dalla and in terms
(09:14):
of both workforce and resources and funding, it's not going
to the new bypassed will not the commence until that
work is near to completion. If we keep Bates Bay
Hospital open, it will only function as Level one or
Level two. We would be closing Maria District Hospital as
(09:37):
a Level three hospital, and we'd be just opening another
Level three hospital and that's no advance in clinical services
to the people of the Urobadella or the Far South Coast.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Well, that's all for our episode today. Thanks to doctor
Michael Holland, member for BIGER, for providing that snapshot of
where things are at with what will be this region's
bggest game changer in medical care and emergency response in decades.
Amali Drauer, catch you another time on I Heart Far
South Coast.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I Heart Far South Coast,
Wow High Far South Coast. In an ideal situation, you
have two linear accelerators in case one goes down. But
that precaution may be not appropriate when you look at
the number of patients that are receiving that therapy, So
you don't want an eight million dollar machine sitting there idle.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hello Ali Droa, thanking you for dropping into this episode
of Iheartfar South Coast. We've had a few locals asking
us where things are at with the new three hundred
and thirty million dollar Urubadella Regional Hospital, which is now
well and truly under construction. In fact, the slab is
now down for the Far South coast first ever pediatric department,
(00:39):
which will all be part of a world class maternity unit.
This new hospital will be a Level four facility and
it comes at the cost of the eventual closure of
the emergency department at Bateman's Bay Hospital as well as
the existing Maruya District Hospital. The new Eurybidella Regional Hospital
(01:00):
bigger than both of those hospitals combined, and it will
service the needs of the entire Urubidella from Naruma to Bateman, Spain.
So considering the project is hitting its construction milestones. We
felt it timely to check in with doctor Michael Holland,
the new South Wales MP for Beager, who says, despite
all of the recent rain, the project is running to schedule.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I can say that this development's really on track, if
not ahead of track. So a really important development in
the health situation for the electorate because this new yur
Abadella Hospital, which will provide things like our first pediatric
unit in the year Abidalla, the first intensive care unit
in the region, and also the level for critical care
(01:45):
unit in terms of the emergency department, close observation unit,
intensive care unit, all working together with the facilities like
an MRI on site fluoroscopy, dental X rays, all these
things that have been provided in the region before. So
we have a fully developed access road, the parking hospital
(02:07):
parking area has been developed and in the next few
months we're looking at the construction of the roundabout to
the site which will be on the Princess Highway. Work
will start on that in a few months time and
is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
(02:29):
So all things going ahead very quickly and on time.
A really important development in the health situation. For the
electorate because this new year Abadella Hospital which will provide
things like our first pediatric unit in the year Abadalla,
the first intensive care unit in the region and also
(02:52):
the level for critical care unit in terms of the
emergency department, close observation unit, intensive care get at all
working together with the facilities like an MRI on site fluroscopy,
detal X rays, all these things that have never been
provided in the region before.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Now much has been made about the inclusion of an
MRII unit at the new hospital. It's something that has
been missing at the Southeast Regional Hospital in Bega. The
inclusion of an MRI at Uribidella requires specialized construction of
a bunker. For now, there is budget for one, but
not a second MRI for backup. Doctor Holland says it
(03:36):
is costly not just to buy a new MRI machine,
but there is the expense around the technical and safety
aspects relating to the building of a special bunker to
house the radiation equipment used in oncology treatments. He says
Eurybidella Regional Hospital would definitely have the space for a
radiation oncology facility one day, as the site is twenty
(03:59):
two hectares in size, but that would require federal government funding.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
The argument about having a second bunker is also in
terms of the ability to expand. In an ideal situation,
you have to linear accelerators in case one goes down,
but that precaution may be not appropriate when you look
at the number of patients that are receiving that therapy,
(04:27):
So you don't want an eight million dollar machine sitting
there idle. I mean, I've said before that there is
a space to expand, but I think it's premature to
look at whether it's a one bunk or two bunker design.
I have said this before that I've committed to opening
a Level four Uribidella hospital in twenty twenty seven. I
(04:49):
did not commit to opening it with radiation oncology. But
if we can achieve the funding through negotiations with the
federal minister and the New South Wales Ministry for Help,
the space is there to start that work, even potentially
before the hospital is completed, or to commence it after
(05:10):
opening more.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Soon on Iheartfar South Coast and the Eurobadella Regional Hospital
with doctor Michael holland New South Wales MP for Bega,
including the latest on the Maruya Bypass.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
I ART Far South Coast, i ART Fast South Coast.
They have hard trouble, lung trouble, problems with their joints.
They may have problems with their weight. That meant that previously,
without a level for critical care service, that those people
(05:49):
would have been told, look, we can't deal with your
problem here in the Yubidella. You do have to go away.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Hello Ali Droua with you and the chance today to
take a d dive into the progression of one of
the Far South Coast biggest projects in decades, the Urubadella
Regional Hospital, which is now well into the construction phase
and aiming to take its first patients by twenty twenty seven.
The hospital will provide the region's first ever pediatric unit,
(06:19):
elevating critical healthcare on the Far South Coast for mums
and bubs, and it will also have highly specialized accident
and emergency care with its own intensive care unit and
a new ed. By the year twenty thirty one, Urubadella's
population will be up over forty thousand and the median
age will be fifty three years old. New South Wales
(06:42):
member for Begger Doctor Michael Holland says it won't just
be the newest members of our community who will benefit
from specialist services.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Our older population have many medical comorbidities. In other words,
they have hard trouble, lung trouble, problems with their joints,
they may have problems with their weight. That meant that previously,
without a Level four critical care service, that those people
would have been told, look, we can't deal with your
(07:13):
problem here in the Yubidella. You do have to go away.
But if we can care for them both in an
acute situation and also in the routine, say surgery situation,
we can keep those people here without that displacement for
both them and their families.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
So to provide the critical care services required, the new
Yurubidella Regional Hospital must meet the Level four classification, thus
replacing the Bateman's Bay Level two Hospital Emergency Department and
the Maruya District Hospital which is a Level three. Now
much has been made on how the proposed Marya bypass
(07:54):
will play a role in the development of the new
hospital site between Albert Street and the Print Highway, and
there has been plenty of concerned residents on Facebook and
other sites who live outside of Maria that are worried
about navigating traffic, congestion and roadworks, and not just on
a daily commute basis, but should an emergency situation arise
(08:17):
and they have to get to hospital, Doctor Hollin says.
While the federal government has yet to allocate funding for
the Marua bypass, the route has been determined.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
The preferred route has been announced, which runs east of
the current hospital site. It'll involve what appears to be
the longest road bridge in New South Wales, so something
like about eight kilometers of road bridge which has to
cross the floodplain north of Maria and join the highway.
(08:51):
It involves the construction of another bridge to the east
of the existing Maria Pacific Bridge highlight bridge. So currently
the preferred root is there. We have works going on
on a bypass at Milk Nulla Dalla and in terms
(09:14):
of both workforce and resources and funding, it's not going
to the new bypassed will not the commence until that
work is near to completion. If we keep Bates Bay
Hospital open, it will only function as Level one or
Level two. We would be closing Maria District Hospital as
(09:37):
a Level three hospital, and we'd be just opening another
Level three hospital and that's no advance in clinical services
to the people of the Urobadella or the Far South Coast.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Well, that's all for our episode today. Thanks to doctor
Michael Holland, member for BIGER, for providing that snapshot of
where things are at with what will be this region's
bggest game changer in medical care and emergency response in decades.
Amali Drauer, catch you another time on I Heart Far
South Coast.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I Heart Far South Coast,
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