The Queensland Government has named Australian Unity as the preferred tenderer for the $1.1 billion Herston Quarter project in Brisbane. The redevelopment will transform the former children’s hospital at Herston into a mixed-use precinct for health, residential, commercial and recreational activity. 

The preferred proponent bid against fellow shortlisted tenderer Lend Lease, with both parties encouraged to demonstrate their experience, capability and capacity to successfully masterplan, manage and deliver developments of similar size, nature and complexity, including the adaptive reuse of existing heritage buildings.

“The Herston Quarter is an important social infrastructure project for Brisbane and Queensland and we thank the Palaszczuk Government for the opportunity to contribute to the development of a world class health precinct,” said Australian Unity Group Managing Director Rohan Mead,

Australian Unity and the Queensland Government will work together to finalise the contract and project masterplan over the next few months. According to Treasurer Curtis Pitt, this project will be supporting 700 jobs annually during construction.

“This development, over a five-hectare site adjacent to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, will provide significant economic development opportunities for Queensland, supporting 700 jobs annually during the 10-year development period and hundreds of jobs annually through operation, as estimated by Australian Unity," said Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt. 

Project Masterplan (Source: Herston Quarter)

Construction will be done in stages over the next 10 years and works are expected to begin in 2017.

Stage one is set to begin next year and is estimated to be completed by 2020. The first stage will involve:

• Initial site preparations as well as the demolition of former Royal Children’s Hospital which involves the excavation of bedrock.
• Upgrade works to Herston Road and construction on the Specialist Rehabilitation and Ambulatory Care Centre (SRACC) public health facility.
• Upgrade works to internal roads as well as construction of Spanish Steps and other public realm areas.
• Revamping the Lady Lamington Nurses’ Home, Edith Cavell Building, Lady Norman Building, Lady Lamington North and South Towers.

Stage two of the project is also set to begin in 2017 and is expected to be completed within a 10-year timeframe. This stage will involve:

• Construction of the new Lady Lamington adjoining building.
• Construction of a new car park north of the precinct.
• Construction of the retirement and aged care buildings.
• Construction of a new private hospital.
• Construction works on a residential development.

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Source: Queensland Government and Australian Unity