The South Australian government has picked a different site for Adelaide's new Women's and Children's Hospital which will come with a bigger price tag.
The new facility will now be built on land occupied by the South Australian police barracks.
The government will invest up to $3.2 billion in the facility but says that will allow for more beds and treatment spaces compared to the hospital proposed by the previous Liberal government.
The Liberals costed their proposal at $1.9 billion but the current government said that had since blown out to $2.8 billion.
The new site will also allow room for the Women's and Children's Hospital and the nearby Royal Adelaide Hospital to expand in the future.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said he appreciated that choosing to build on a heritage-listed site would create a degree of concern within the community.
"But it would be crazy to build a brand new, multi-billion-dollar hospital that is outgrown in a decade's time," he said.
"It isn't a decision without a degree of controversy, but it is a decision focusing on doing what is right for our health system into the long term.
"Let's get it right the first time."
The new hospital will have 76 more beds than the existing facility in North Adelaide, taking total capacity to 414.
It will also have a 24 per cent increase in treatment spaces along with a dedicated heliport with direct access to critical clinical areas.
Construction is expected to start in 2024 with the hospital to be open by 2031.
The premier said the government would work with police on moving the activities from the 105-year-old barracks site to a new location.
Commissioner Grant Stevens said moving the barracks offered the force a unique opportunity to acquire modern, fit-for-purpose facilities.
He said the government had provided $2 million for planning work for the relocation and had promised there would be no loss of operational capability following the move.
But the SA Greens criticised the government's plan for showing an "alarming lack of imagination".
"South Australians shouldn't have to choose between a new hospital and our iconic buildings and parklands," Greens MP Robert Simms said.
"Surely the government can find another site or alternatives that don't result in the destruction of so much of our city's heritage."
