Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Goulburn Hospital and Health Service Redevelopment located?

The redeveloped hospital is being built on the current Goulburn Base Hospital site.

What works are coming up onsite?

The new Clinical Services Building opened in November 2021. Construction of the Final Works has commenced and will be delivered in a phased approach, in line with agreed clinical service priorities.

The Final Works will include some refurbishment of the existing hospital buildings, upgrade, relocation or removal of building services; demolition of some buildings, as well as landscaping.

What is included in the Goulburn Hospital and Health Service Redevelopment?

The project includes:
  • A new four-storey Clinical Services building featuring:
  • main entry and hospital reception
  • Emergency Department
  • medical imaging department
  • intensive care unit
  • operating theatres, day surgery and recovery areas
  • medical, surgical, paediatric, rehabilitation and geriatric inpatient units with specific designated palliative care beds
  • maternity unit and birthing suite, as well as ambulatory paediatric and antenatal clinics.
  • Improved on-site car parking
  • An extension to the Community Health building for Community Mental Health.

What will the Goulburn Hospital and Health Service Redevelopment cost?

The NSW Government is investing $165 million to redevelop the Goulburn Hospital and Health Service.

When will the Goulburn Hospital and Health Service Redevelopment open its doors to patients?

The new clinical services building was completed and opened to patients in late 2021. Final work to complete the redevelopment is expected to be completed by late 2023.

Is the Goulburn Hospital and Health Service Redevelopment on budget?

All scope that has been announced for the Goulburn Hospital Redevelopment will be delivered as part of the $165 million budget.

Will there be any additional stages of the Goulburn Hospital Redevelopment?

On 22 June 2021 the project received an uplift of $15 million in funding. A services prioritisation process and Business Case addendum has commenced for the allocation of this funding. More information will be provided as the project progresses.

What community consultation has taken place?
Southern NSW Local Health District and Health Infrastructure have undertaken extensive rounds of consultation regarding this project at every step of the way.
More than 4000 people comprised of staff and community have been consulted as part of the redevelopment process.
15 Project User Groups (PUG) comprised of nurses, medical officers and other health professionals helped inform the development of the design. An average of 220 staff and patients participated in multiple rounds of the PUGs that contributed to these designs.
Southern NSW Local Health District and Health Infrastructure have drawn on the experience and expertise within its Community Consultation Committee, who have provided further consumer perspectives on the future health needs of the community.

How are construction impacts managed?

As with any project of this scale, there may be some disruption caused during construction.
Construction impacts will be managed in accordance with stringent environmental management plans to mitigate the impacts of noise, vibration, dust and traffic. More information on mitigation measures will be available as the project progresses.

Why has the name of the hospital changed from Goulburn Base Hospital?

There are no plans to change the name of the Goulburn Base Hospital. Signs on the fly-through and artist impressions are indicative only.

Isn’t the current hospital heritage listed?

A section of the hospital that currently fronts Goldsmith Street is on the Goulburn-Mulwaree Council’s heritage register and will not be demolished. The buildings that are being demolished are not heritage listed.

What will happen to the Bourke Street Health Service?

The Bourke Street Health Service has served Goulburn well for many decades. However, the building has reached the end of its useful life as a contemporary health facility.
The transition of staff and services from Bourke Street Health Service (BSHS) into Goulburn Base Hospital and the new facility is being carefully planned to ensure that Main and Final Works cause minimal disruptions to patients and services. 
Consolidating health services in the one site is an important step in creating a sustainable and viable future health service for Goulburn.
The main building on Bourke Street is owned by The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, leased by Southern NSW Local Health District for many years. The building will be returned to The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn following the relocation of services. Southern NSW Local Health District is committed to working through options with the Catholic Archdiocese that are in the best interests of the local community.

Will there be more parking on campus?

There will be an increase in and improved distribution of, on-site car parking spaces at the hospital to meet the increased demand.
Following extensive staff and community consultation, a permit parking scheme and timed parking zones were introduced in late 2019 allowing hospital staff and visitors, school students and staff as well as local residents to continue to park within the precinct.
In addition, to minimise the impact of contractor and project related parking on local residents and road users during the Hospital redevelopment, a temporary project car park was constructed at the at the corner of Mount and Fitzroy Streets. The car park was opened in May 2020.

How will the outcomes of the recent Heritage survey be incorporated into the new building?

In August 2020 Health Service staff and the community were asked to complete an online heritage survey to share feedback about their memories of the Goulburn Health Service and what they would like to see included in the new hospital’s heritage exhibition and time capsule.
The project has catalogued over 2000 items from Goulburn Base Hospital and Bourke Street Health Service, which along with the stories of the people who used them, will provide a vital record and connection to healthcare over the years in Goulburn.
The survey results will help shape the way these items are displayed throughout the new four-storey Clinical Services Building and contribute to the arts and heritage program for the Redevelopment.

Where will the winning images from the community photography competition be displayed?

From the start of September to the end of October 2020, photographers were invited to enter a photographic competition, with the winning photography incorporated into the new health facility.
There were 6 categories for photographers to enter, with 5 of the categories celebrating the Goulburn district’s native and local flora, specifically Boronia, Wattle, Lilac, Bluebell and Eucalyptus. The flora theme was chosen to incorporate local elements into the new health facility and also provide an atmosphere that is calm and uplifting. The winning photographs have been installed and are displayed at various locations in the building. The sixth category is a rainbow theme and the winning photograph is featured in the hospital’s paediatric unit.

Why is Arts in Health such an important component in the Redevelopment?

The Arts in Health program is designed to guide the integration of arts into the NSW healthcare system. Incorporating arts and culture in health facilities has a profoundly beneficial impact on the wellbeing and experiences of patients, carers and staff.
Arts in Health also provides opportunity to work with the local community to instill strong cultural connections and sense of community ownership in the new hospital.

What has happened to the memorial rose gardens?

The Goulburn Hospital and Health Service Redevelopment project team together with the Goulburn Rose Society and students from Goulburn High School have relocated the hospital’s memorial roses. The Goulburn Rose Society provided advice and assistance to help catalogue and replant roses into the semi-circle garden off Goldsmith Street. These have been a part of the health service for more than 25 years, along with some new ‘Goulburn Rose’ bushes. In July 2021, approximately 30 rose bushes were relocated to the front semi-circle garden.

The new memorial rose garden will be a key feature of Goulburn Base Hospital campus, where individuals and families will be able to pause to reflect and remember their loved ones.

Will there be a café built as part of the redevelopment?

The project scope includes for the continuation of the Hospital kiosk facility. Space is also being made available to accommodate a coffee cart in the new Clinical Services Building.

Will there be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine in the new hospital?

In the 2021-22 State Budget, the NSW Government announced an additional $15 million in funding to enhance clinical services which will be delivered as part of the Goulburn Hospital and Health Service redevelopment.
The additional funds supported the provision and installation of a new MRI in the new Clinical Services Building.  This facility opened for patients in May 2023.

How will staffing at the redeveloped hospital compare with numbers at the current hospital?

One of the key motivations driving the redevelopment is meeting the increasing demand for health services now and in the future.
The Redeveloped hospital will ensure there is room to grow and change as the Goulburn community does.
New ways of working are also part of the redevelopment, and staff have been involved in developing those new models of care.
Southern NSW Local Health District is currently finalising their workforce plan for the operation of the new facility .