(Printed in The Weekly, November 22)
THE WEEKLY has sorted through hundreds of pages of the Tweed Valley Hospital Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this week’s edition, to provide readers with a valuable insight into the specifics of the major project.
The Tweed Valley Hospital is the largest investment in the Tweed Shire’s history and despite continued debate around the location of the hospital, the community is in agreement that a new hospital is needed.
The Weekly has broken down the report into several headings which includes a brief outline of the report.
The EIS outlines Health Infrastructure’s reasons for choosing the greenfield site at 771 Cudgen Road which include projected population growth on the Tweed Coast; demographic trends that show an ageing population, lower life expectancies and poorer health outcomes; a goal to be self-sufficient and reduce cross-border cross overs; to implement new models of care and to eliminate the constraints of The Tweed Hospital site which is located at the northern end of the shire and inaccessible to residents south of the river during a major flood.
The Tweed Hospital will close
The EIS clearly states that all services currently located at The Tweed Hospital will be relocated to the Cudgen site and the current hospital site will be available for redevelopment.
A Social and Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) prepared by SGS Economics and Planning found the relocation of The Tweed Hospital will have economic impacts on the Tweed Heads city centre in the short-term but found overall the majority of impacts are likely to be positive.
The report lists improved health services, enhanced technology inclusion (wherein it can efficiently carry out healthcare coding audits and other services), safety from flooding, increased employment during construction, and improved self-sufficiency among the positive impacts.
Construction impacts, loss of agricultural land and reduced economic function of the Tweed Town Centre were listed as negative impacts that were rated as moderate.
“These impacts are more likely to be felt by the elderly, infirm and those who do not have access to private vehicle or can easily utilise public transport,” the SEIA reads.
“While data regarding why people have chosen to reside in Tweed Heads is not available, there may be members of the community who have located in the town centre due to the access it provides to the hospital and outpatient services.
“These are the people most likely to be adversely affected by the hospital’s relocation to Kingscliff.”
The report also reveals The Tweed Clinical Education and Research Institute, Ambulance Station, Breast Screen Services, Oral Health and Community Health Centre will not be relocated to the new hospital and it is recommended these services are delivered in, or collocated with, a community health facility located in or close to the Tweed Heads Town Centre.
The report also recommends improving public transport access between Tweed Heads and the new facility at Kingscliff.
The relocation of the hospital will have a short-term economic impact on Tweed Heads businesses, such as those providing short-term accommodation, food, and hospitality services as well as retailers close to the current hospital site, according to the economic assessment. In such situations, residents may need to look for the Best online pharmacy that can provide medicine delivery within a limited time. This is because, while the hospital is being relocated, people may not be able to buy essential medicines. Additionally, it’s advisable for people to browse and select the best Medicare Supplement plans that can cover their medication costs when ordered from somewhere else.
“So it is logical that the relocation of the hospital away from this area will have a negative impact on trading levels and perceptions of centre vitality – at least in the short term,” the SEIA reads.
The report also notes that the Department of Planning and Environment and Tweed Shire Council are in the process of developing a Regional City Action Plan for Tweed, which will provide the opportunity to develop a future vision for The Tweed Hospital site.
“That said, the relocation of the hospital frees up a significant parcel of land for alternative uses to populate in the medium-to-long term,” the SEIA reads.
“In property development terms, the existing site is well positioned near the Tweed River and possesses relatively strong levels of amenity.
“It could be occupied by other strategically important uses that serve the local and regional population.”
Redevelopment too costly
Health Infrastructure had investigated the option of redeveloping The Tweed Hospital (TTH), including the purchase of nearby land, and said although it was a feasible option, the funds required would be “significant” and would “detract from expenditure on necessary clinical services”.
“All studies have identified that any redevelopment at TTH would result in significant capital cost due to the complex logistics required to maintain a safe and operating hospital facility through the works, as well as purchase of adjacent land,” the SEIA reads.
Future of Murwillumbah Hospital
According to the SEIA “there is no net increase in beds or services at the Murwillumbah Hospital currently planned as part of this project” and it will “retain its current role”.
Stage one works
Health Infrastructure has applied to extend construction hours to meet the 2022 construction deadline for the Tweed Valley Hospital.
The site will be operational from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and Health Infrastructure have applied to extend the Saturday completion time from 8am to 1pm to the later 4pm.
Health Infrastructure have modified stage one early works to include the construction of three sediment basins to protect the low-lying rainforest area to the north of the site.
The stage one works which also include vegetation clearing, piling, retaining walls and connection of services, and are likely to take 10 months to complete.
The sloping site requires 139,812 cubic metres to be cut and 118,653 cubic metres of this will be used to fill the site. An Environmental Protection Licence (EPL) will likely be required because of the high volume being processed.
More than 1000 staff needed
The EIS estimates the new hospital will initially have 430 beds and 1053 full-time equivalent staff.
The staffing will increase by an estimated 20 per cent to 2026/27, and then increase by an estimated 1.1 per cent per year to 2031/32.
The EIS states that further details of staffing will be developed.
Paid parking planned
According to the EIS, the development will “incorporate in the order of 700 car parking spaces across four car parking areas” with two staff car parks and two public car parks that are expected to be “on surface” parking.
The EIS does note that further studies and community consultation will be undertaken in relation to parking as part of the Stage 2 application and a Car Park Project Working Group will be formed which will include members of Community Reference Panel.
“Hence parking numbers are not included for endorsement as part of this EIS,” the EIS reads.
“A car parking management plan will detail any parking fees which will follow a typical tariff system as used across NSW.
“It is expected that management of car parking will be similar to the system used at the Lismore Base Hospital Uralba Street carpark (as outlined in the Traffic Impact Assessment), which includes: boom gate access, structured fee for various time periods, multiple payment methods, operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week and concession parking for eligible visitors.”
Lismore Base Hospital’s multi-storey carpark is operated by independent operator Care Park, who have free parking for the first 15 minutes, $3 for the first hour, $6 for two to three hours and a maximum daily charge of $8.
Road upgrades required
The Traffic Impact Assessment found an additional 5,078 vehicles will be on the roads each day once the hospital is constructed.
The assessment found all intersections will cope with the increased demand, apart from the Tweed Coast Road and Cudgen Road intersection, which will operate outside of an “acceptable performance limit” by completion of the hospital in 2023.
The EIS proposes upgrading the intersection including a 100m southbound left turning lane on Tweed Coast Road and lengthening departure lanes.
Health Infrastructure said they will work with Tweed Shire Council and RMS on the planning and delivery of the Cudgen Road/ Tweed Coast Road intersection capacity upgrades and how these works will interface with Tweed Shire Council’s planned four-lane upgrade of Tweed Coast Road from the Pacific Highway to Cudgen Road.
Residents to lose views
A Draft Visual Impact Assessment found that several residents to the east of the hospital site will lose their view of Mount Warning.
The most affected area is the west-facing and elevated residential areas, “with some residences likely to lose distant views of Mount Warning”.
However, the report concludes that despite some reduction in visual quality for these viewpoints, all view frames would still maintain a “reasonable visual amenity standard”.
Minimising cross-border flows
The social impact assessment raised concerns with the ability of the Gold Coast health service to continue to treat the thousands of Northern NSW residents seeking specialist care in Queensland.
The report notes that in 2010/11, approximately 5,400 residents of the Northern NSW catchment accessed inpatient care in Queensland including Interventional Cardiology via a contract with John Flynn Private Hospital and Radiation Oncology via Gold Coast University Hospital.
“Although close by for patients, the John Flynn Hospital will only be able to support patients requiring Interventional Cardiology from the Northern NSW catchment until 2018-19 when it is anticipated that Gold Coast University Hospital will be at full capacity serving the local South East Queensland and Gold Coast public demand,” the report reads.
“It has been assessed that by 2020, the Gold Coast Health University will be unable to deliver high volume Radiation Oncology services to the residents of Northern NSW, rather will only have the capacity to deliver quaternary level services.
“There is therefore a known risk that health services in Queensland will fail to provide services for the Northern NSW catchment.
“The Northern NSW Government cannot actively manage this risk as they cannot influence investment decisions of the Queensland Government.”
The Weekly sought to clarify whether Queensland Health would continue to provide specialist care to Northern NSW residents.
Chief Executive of the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) Wayne Jones said they have an excellent working relationship with Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH).
“Radiation therapy is currently provided to residents in Northern NSW through GCUH, John Flynn Private Hospital and Lismore Base Hospital,” he said.
“These arrangements will continue until the new Tweed Valley Hospital commences providing radiation therapy services.
“Consistent with the Medicare principles set out on the National Health Reform Agreement, treatment cannot be refused to Medicare eligible patients due to their state of residence.”
The social impact assessment also noted in 2010/11 9,880 residents of Queensland accessed inpatient care in the Northern NSW catchment.
Mr Jones said the NNSWLHD will “continue to treat Queensland residents where it is clinically appropriate, and NSW residents will continue to be treated by Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) where clinically appropriate”.
Loss of farmland
While the farming future of the Cudgen plateau remains heavily debated, an Agricultural Impact Assessment found minimal impacts.
The assessment said the removal of State Significant Farmland (SSF) would be “unlikely to have a significant impact on agricultural productivity especially given it contains partly sloping land which is not ideal for agricultural production and a rocky sub soil which would result in yields of sweet potatoes being lower than average”.
The assessment also downplayed fears the rezoning of the land would open the Cudgen plateau for development.
“As the Project is for a public purpose/ infrastructure it is not considered that the Project would set a precedent which could allow further urban development to occur on SSF,” the report reads.
“Therefore, it is unlikely that the Project would result in any increase in the value of agricultural land or reduce investment in agriculture in the region.”
To reduce conflict with nearby farms a Land Use Conflict Risk Assessment recommended a series of measures, including vegetated buffers to provide an effective safeguard to spray drift.
To offset the loss of farmland the agricultural assessment states that the Department of Premier and Cabinet are currently pursuing a collaborative opportunity to support the agricultural industry in the region.
The report states this could include improved utilisation of agricultural land, including that which has not been farmed for some time.
Cudgen farmer James Paddon has responded to the farming report and highlighted the lucrative nature of the region’s agricultural sector.
“Our main points are the demographic of Cudgen farmers being so young and that is because the industry is so lucrative due to the year round ability to produce high value crops,” he said.
“NSW DPI has been working on rural land use conflict of late and in the latest report most conflict arises from new residents or enterprises entering rural areas and most of these conflicts once investigated have found the farmers were not in breach of the law.
“So we have a booming farming industry that requires every spare acre for expansion not to loose valuable ground and be hindered by most likely regular complaints when the farmer is doing no wrong.
“The NSW DPI employed Dr Andy Goodall, University of Technology Sydney to conduct surveys of local councils throughout NSW on rural land use conflict to compile reports for their Right to Farm programme 2015 and on going to date. Tweed Shire Council was included in these surveys.
“One of their conclusions was that the most effective way to prevent rural land conflict was in the planning stage hence development applications.”
Have your say
The Relocate Team are urging members of the public to have their say on the Tweed Valley Hospital development before the closing date on Thursday, November 29.
The local people can put up their demands, needs, or requests in front of the authority, and the ones worthy of acknowledgement would be addressed. The needs and demands could be as simple as needing HVACs (to include which a reputed hvac service firm could be consulted) for the hot and cold months to advanced machinery tailored to specific treatments.
“Many people in the area have an opinion about the proposed location of the Tweed Valley Hospital at Cudgen,” the Relocate Team spokeswoman Hayley Paddon said.
“Fortunately, we live in a democratic society and now community members can finally have their say about whether they feel the development of the hospital should occur on the State Significant Farmlands.
“The Department of Planning & Environment is asking for your opinions about two important changes:
“1. The State Significant Development Application (SSD) – this is the plan to build a hospital at Kingscliff including the impacts of the hospital on Kingscliff and the Tweed according to Health Infrastructure. You can comment on such issues as traffic and visual impact, social and economic impact, agricultural impact and all environmental impacts in their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
“2. The Proposed State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) the Health Infrastructure proposal would remove the agricultural zoning of the land and remove building height restrictions.”
To have your say on the proposed rezoning of the Cudgen Road site visit: http://planspolicies.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=9659
To have your say on the new Tweed Valley Hospital Concept Application: http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=9575