First pictures inside the near-complete new Royal Adelaide Hospital
THE first pictures of the near-complete new Royal Adelaide Hospital have been released by builders, in an internal memo defending the $2.3 billion project’s progress and safety record.
In the memo obtained by The Advertiser, HYLC joint venture development director Simon Ballard declares construction of the world-class facility is complete, fitted out and furnished, awaiting sign-off from the State Government’s independent certifier.
The memo’s 13 pictures show fully furnished single-bed rooms, landscaped courtyards and other apparently fully equipped multi-bed medical facilities within the 10ha site, on the corner of North and West terraces.
Mr Ballard also pointedly boasts that the unoccupied hospital continued to operate during September’s statewide blackout, claiming no other health facility did.
SA Health Partnerships, the consortium behind the hospital, is embroiled in a Supreme Court dispute with the State Government over the project’s completion and on Wednesday sought an urgent injunction over fears Health Minister Jack Snelling could terminate the contract.
The builders had been targeting a handover in June next year but there are now fears the hospital will not open until late next year.
The internal memo, issued on Monday, strikes back at Mr Snelling’s rejection of a “cure plan”, revealed by The Advertiser that day, on the basis of “issues of the safe functioning of the hospital”.
In the memo, Mr Ballard says the notice of rejection received last Friday did not in any way relate to safety matters but suggests Mr Snelling’s comments related to operational — not building — safety.
“We are yet to understand the full extent of this rejection and we look forward to exploring this further,” he says.
“In the meantime, we will continue to focus on our completion and commissioning activities for a safe and high-quality project delivery.”
Mr Ballard highlights the building’s design, functionality and quality, saying this outstrips all South Australian health facilities and is highly regarded in the construction industry as the most complex and innovative of its kind.
“This facility is technically smart and, in the recent statewide blackout, continued to operate on the emergency backup systems with no interruption to operation — a claim that no other healthcare facility could make,” he says.
Mr Snelling told Parliament on Wednesday that the State reserved its legal rights, which include terminating the contract.
But he said that was not his preferred option and he would much rather SAHP rectify the issues to make the hospital safe.
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