The arrival of a tower crane at the site of the site of the new Shellharbour Hospital has marked a major milestone in the delivery of the state-of-the-art facility.
Standing at over 52 metres tall, the crane will play a crucial role supporting construction of the new seven-storey hospital. It is the first of two cranes which will be in place until next year, with the second crane set to be installed in the coming months.
The arrival marks an important step towards delivering the new hospital, which will transform healthcare in the Illawarra, now and into the future.
Construction is progressing on site, with 540 piles recently drilled and filled with concrete to form the hospital’s foundation.
To celebrate the project’s first crane arrival, local primary school students are being invited to participate in a ‘Name the Crane’ competition.
Two names will be selected, one for each crane, with the winning name to be displayed on each crane.
Students are encouraged to submit a coloured-in entry form, along with a brief explanation of their name choice for the New Shellharbour Hospital ‘Name the Crane’ competition.
The colouring-in sheet can be downloaded from the New Shellharbour Hospital and Integrated Services Project website, with the completed entry emailed to HI-shellharbourdevelopment@health.nsw.gov.au.
Entries close on Friday 2 May 2025.
The project is part of the more than $780 million new Shellharbour Hospital and Integrated Services Project, funded by the NSW and Commonwealth Governments.
It includes:
- An expanded emergency department
- Specialised elective surgery services Rehabilitation and aged care services
- Acute medical services
- Mental health services
- Renal dialysis
- Outpatient care services
- Car parking and improved public transport links.
The new hospital is also being designed to enable construction of a future rooftop helipad.
Construction of the new hospital is expected to be completed in 2027.
For more information, visit https://shellharbourdevelopment.health.nsw.gov.au/
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health, Ryan Park:
“This is an exciting milestone for this important project.
“The cranes will be a familiar local landmark on the hospital site as they support construction, meaning the local community is a step closer to accessing state-of-the-art health services and facilities, closer to home.
“I am looking forward to seeing even more progress being made onsite in the coming months, as the new hospital comes to life.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson:
“It’s fantastic to see construction moving forward, not only creating local jobs but also ensuring the Illawarra community will soon have access to a world-class healthcare facility.
“At the peak of construction, the project will support around 800 direct jobs and many more once the hospital opens.
“The name the crane competition is a great way to connect young people with the new hospital and I encourage all primary school students to get involved.”