The new Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH) will be built at the Thebarton Police Barracks site on Port Road, as the South Australian state government seeks to "futureproof" Adelaide's medical precinct.
The government has dumped existing plans to build the new WCH on a smaller, triangular parcel of land immediately west of the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).
The decision will see the project cost blow out to $3.2 billion — up from $2.8 billion — and the project's delivery date pushed out by another two years to 2030-31.
Premier Peter Malinauskas defended the decision, saying while it was not "politically expedient" it was in the long-term interests of the health system.
"When you're contemplating spending $2.8 billion for a new hospital, that's not a figure that sits comfortably with compromised clinical results," he said.
Mr Malinauskas said an independent review of seven site options clearly indicated the new barracks site would deliver the best outcomes – including the potential for expansion.
He said the new proposal had several "key differences", including an onsite helipad for easier relocations, an ICU, capacity for a cardiac surgery ward, direct access to the parklands and an additional 85 car parks.
"At some point in decades to come the RAH will need to be expanded … I can't say when, but with a growing and ageing population, that is a possibility that must be accounted for," he said.
"If we build the new WCH immediately next to the RAH, we will never, ever be able to expand the RAH or the WCH."
Health Minister Chris Picton said the new site was 20,000 square metres larger than the previous parcel of land.
"The RAH was built to expand to the west, so to build the Women's and Kids [sic] on that site fundamentally means we'd have to make a whole lot of clinical limitations," he said.
"It would have been easier politically to continue along that path, but it would not be a good solution in the long-term."
Concern for heritage-listed buildings
Ten buildings in the barracks are state heritage listed.
"Its heritage status is more a function of the fact that is an early police working facility, rather than being a building of extraordinary architectural significance," Mr Malinauskas said.
"I don't seek to dismiss its heritage status, but I want to put it in the context, which is the long-term consideration of the Women's and Children's Hospital."
SA Heritage Council chair Keith Conlon told ABC Radio Adelaide that all of the heritage buildings — some more than 100 years old — would have to be demolished to make way for the new hospital.
He said the site had been associated with the "police greys" — SA Police's mounted police unit — since 1838.
"This would represent the most dangerous precedent, it would represent the biggest news in heritage since the legislation came in to protect heritage places 44 years ago," he said.
"This is a substantial part of our history and the buildings are still there.
"This is living history and this would be bulldozing it."
He said he believed it was possible for the government to keep the heritage buildings and integrate them into the design concept for the new Women's and Children's Hospital.
Funding for police relocation planning
The decision does present a logistical challenge for SA Police, whose barracks will have to be relocated elsewhere. That site is yet to be revealed.
The state government has allocated $2 million for the police to plan for the relocation, which it said would not lead to a loss of operational capability.
“This announcement creates a unique opportunity for SAPOL to consider its operational needs and work with affected staff, stakeholders and the government to acquire modern, fit-for-purpose facilities that will meet organisational needs well into the future," Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said.
'Half baked'
The previous government proposed plans to build the new WCH immediately west of the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).
Shadow Health Minister Ashton Hurn said that funding needed to be committed for the current Women's and Children's Hospital in the meantime.
"There's going to be a lot more money needed to be pumped into that site," Ms Hurn said.
"So that would be a question that the government will need to answer.
"We are now talking about a 10-year blowout."
Opposition Leader David Speirs said the change in plans would be detrimental to the health system.
"The proposal appears in many ways half-baked," Mr Speirs said.
"What we know about it to date is that it will lead to huge delays and very significant increase in costs.
"Toddlers today will be teenagers by the time this hospital is completed.
"Messing around with this project, varying things, changing locations all adds substantially to the cost and the other thing that adds to the cost is huge delays.
"This [previously proposed site] was shovel-ready. It was shown this site could fit the new hospital."
