The Hodgman Liberal Government is delivering the Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment, which will provide a facility for generations of Tasmanians to come.
We have been up front that with Tasmania’s largest ever health infrastructure project, the builder and the Government will face challenges and we will continue to address them prudently and responsibly.
The Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment Project Team has provided an update report to Government, detailing progress to date and challenges we are working through.
The report outlines the need for rectification works to the temporary inpatient facility and to address fire rectification issues and greater than anticipated asbestos containing material in the areas of the hospital being refurbished.
Importantly, the report notes that air testing is routinely conducted in construction zones and adjacent areas and all air tests have been clean.
As a result of these unforeseeable events, it is now expected the redevelopment will be finished in mid-2019, unless the managing contractor can make up the time that has been lost in delay.
The project remains on Budget, and the contract includes significant incentives for the Managing Contractor to minimise delays and make up time, rising to $35 000 a day after 60 days beyond the date for practical completion.
Viable options to mitigate delays will be assessed by the Managing Contractor and the RHH Redevelopment team, but will be undertaken only if it delivers a facility that is safe and fit for purpose.
I am advised that given the ongoing program review and resolution of associated commercial matters, further speculation on these issues may compromise the Government’s legal rights under the contract.
We are committed to seeing the RHH completed and providing a state-of-the-art facility to the residents of Tasmania, which Labor trashed in Government and abandoned in Opposition.
Labor has spent a lot of time throwing rocks at the RHH redevelopment, it is time they got behind this project which will deliver Tasmanians a state of the art health facility for generations to come.
The report has been tabled in Parliament and is available online here
