The first designs have been unveiled for the more than $700 million new Shellharbour Hospital, which will transform healthcare services for the Illawarra's growing population.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the community can now view the plans in person and offer feedback to further inform the design of the new facility.
"Hospitals are very much the heart of the community because they are responsible for both the health of their patients and the communities in which they operate," Mr Hazzard said.
"When hospitals engage communities in decision-making, they tend to meet or exceed community expectations, and we have seen this with the many hospitals the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government has built.
"The new Shellharbour Hospital will be bigger and better with expanded services in beautiful surrounds and, importantly, the facility will be future proofed for the community."
The Hospital will be located on a new site at Dunmore, next to the Princes Highway and close to Shellharbour Junction train station.
It will feature state-of-the-art facilities with expanded emergency and surgical departments, critical care, mental health, medical imaging, rehabilitation, ambulatory care and much more.
Parliamentary Secretary for Wollongong and the Illawarra, Peter Poulos, said the new development will also provide a huge jobs boost for the region, both directly and indirectly.
"The NSW Liberals and Nationals Government has built more than 180 hospitals and health facilities since 2011 and each one of those has delivered jobs for local communities," Mr Poulos said.
"The new Shellharbour Hospital will do the same, offering jobs during construction, new traineeships, and it will attract the best and brightest to work in the hospital once complete.
"I urge people to come along to the first series of pop-up sessions and view the plans, meet the project team, and be a part of this amazing infrastructure opportunity for our region."
Community consultation is underway, with the remaining information sessions to be held on:
More than $700 million has been committed to the new Shellharbour Hospital and Integrated Services project, which includes $570 from the NSW Government for the new hospital, a further $23.3 million committed for a new carpark, and an Australian Government contribution of $128 million.
The nnew Shellharbour Hospital will include:
The project also includes the purchase and enhancement of an additional health facility in Bulli to accommodate further sub-acute services in the Northern Illawarra, refurbishments at the Wollongong Hospital to accommodate Inpatient Units for specialised rehabilitation and palliative care services, and a brand new community health facility to be built in the Warrawong area.
The new Shellharbour Hospital is part of the NSW Government's record $11.9 billion investment in health infrastructure to 2025-26, with nearly a third of the capital allocation in this financial year going towards regional and rural health facilities.
A link to new artist impressions is available
For more information about the redevelopment visit New Shellharbour Hosptial and Integrated Services projects