Wollongong Private Hospital Expansion

I'm writing to raise the following points of concern/issues that need to be resolved prior to any approval and any commencement of works on-site concerning the expansion of Wollongong Private Hospital.
1. Loading Dock Operating Hours: It is my understanding that the current loading dock operating hours are: 7am to 4pm daily. The following hours have never been adhered to. There are noisy truck deliveries at all hours day and night. The loading dock is in operation basically 24 hours a day. There are deliveries and loud noise from the loading dock bins,deliveries and trucks at all hours including 12 midnight and 5am in the morning, which is outside the core hours of the hospitals operation. The loading hours need to be adhered too and policed by the loading dock manager now and into the future if this project is to proceed in anyway.
2. Dust & Noise Pollution During Construction Works & Ongoing Operations: During Stage 1 construction of the private hospital the level of continues noise during the earthworks and dust blanketing the local streets and houses was excessive. More needs to be done to minimize the noise and dust/dirt on the road and on the local houses during these earthworks/construction.
3. Free Off Street Parking For Staff / Patients & Visitors: The project needs to ensure that it provides sufficient free off street parking for it staff, patients and visitors free of charge. Staff and visitors are parking in the local street causing congestion due to the excessive car parking fee's and charges applied. Parking is an essential element of providing such a service to the patients, staff and visitors. This is not a secondary source of income for the hospital's and its private car parking operator. Also access in and out of the carparking facilities needs to be managed and designated from Crown Street, not Urunga Parade which is to narrow a street for high volumes of vehicle traffic at all times of the day.
4. Pedestrian Access Into & Out of The Building: The main entry/exit points for pedestrians need to be focused on the Crown Street side of the building. If a secondary/smaller entry/exit door is provided on the Urunga Parade side of the building, then this needs to be for general visitor foot traffic only during specific times (i.e. Core Hours Only). This should not serve as the main entry / exit point for emergencies vehicles or visitors/patients etc into and out of the building at all hours of the day. Vehicle and customer traffic needs to be focused and concentrated on the Crown Street face/side of the entire building.
5. Pedestrian Footpaths need to be installed: Concrete pedestrian foot paths will need to be installed the length of the road from Urunga Parade down to Sperry Street on both sides of Dudley Street. Currently people parked on the road or when they exit the hospital car park by foot tend to walk along the road in amongst the parked vehicles and amongst the road traffic up or down the length of the road - Dudley Street & Urunga Parade. This is unsafe for all stakeholders. This is because the pedestrian grass surface at times can be unpredictable in the wet and at night, and not as level and solid as the road surface can be when walking up or down a step hill like Dudley Street. It is difficult to see hospital staff and visitors at night walking on the road to their cars parked in Dudley Street / Urunga Parade. There is no pedestrian foot path for staff and visitors, ladies with prams to use safely.
6. Road Repairs After Construction Works: The road surface in Urunga Parade, Dudley Street and surrounding streets will most likely need to be fully resurfaced when the works are completed due damage associated with the heavy vehicles/trucks used during construction.
7. Helicopter Flight Path Review: This needs to be reviewed to ensure the helicopter is not flying directly over the houses and causing damage to surrounding properties with the additions to the Private Hospital affecting the flight path from the south.
Thank you for taking on these key points which require action and solutions moving forward.

My concern deals with
a) parking the Private Hospital was intially constructed it was said there would be no impact on local parking. However, now on most days the kerb outside my home and most of the street is parked out and it has been made a restricted parking area. I put this down to high fee charged for parking at this hospital and the expansion of the public hospital as well. High parking fees deter visitors, employees and paqtients from using the car park even if there parks available. Unless this issue addressed it will only get worse.
b) access and egress- it looks as if Urunga Parade will be narrowed-and in my opinion this will lead to increased congestion. On the Crown Street side having two entrances - rather than one exit will make traffic congestion even worse than it is at present and may make ambulance exit difficult.
c) Increased noise due to traffic and the reflection of the sound of helicopters as they go to the public hospital landing pad
d) Increased run off during heavy rain and it effect on the surrounding are.

Submission of objection is provided in the attached document.

see attached

The Forum requests consideration of notification issues and that the assessment closely considers issues including:
• Setbacks on Urunga Street;
• Traffic matters on this major route to Wollongong CBD;
• Vehicle and pedestrian access from Crown and Urunga streets;
• Improvements to entry level drop-off and parking, particularly access for people with disability (present arrangements for the existing private hospital are unsatisfactory);
• A cap on parking charges,; and,
• The height of the building including the Lift Motor Room.

I've also had a review of the developers statement re: the heritiage significance of the two adjacent buildings to the current private hospital and the summation that "as they stand, the do not meet the threshold for historical significance and that these are one of 20 similar buildings in the Rosemont area". I strongly challenge that view. I am very familiar with both buildings and they are stunning. And whilst, they have been used as medical rooms, it would not take very much to bring them back to the original state. Furthermore, I challenge the view that 20 still stand in the area. In fact, I strongly challenge that view. having lived here my entire life I have not seen another that is of similar or better quality. The issue is, all developers use this argument, the argument the current developers use, and it is taken on face value, and the determination is then made to demolish them. I dare say, that these two buildings are the last of its kind in the area and the remaining ones have irresponsibly been demolished and replaced with town houses. these buildings, regardless, must be preserved. And any other development built around them. they're irreplaceable. Pls view facarde via google earth.

RDA Illawarra supports an extension of the Wollongong Private Hospital on the basis that the project will generate a substantial number of jobs; contributes to the economic growth of the region; addresses community health needs and has the potential to train skilled healthcare professionals in the region.

Our submission is attached.

The current access to the hospital from Urunga Pde does not provide for pedestrians however, this does not stop people from using the driveway for pedestrian access. This is dangerous for several reasons including the slope and general design (for vehicles only).
All parking outside the hospital is on the northern side (Urunga Pde side) and it is a fair hike around to the Crown St entrance at the front of the hospital.
I see there is a new vehicle entrance from Urunga Pd planned for the hospital extension. I suggest it include pedestrian access from Urunga Pde or a separate pedestrian entrance be provided to the hospital complex from Urunga Pde.

Pls note, all of the single storey houses on Crown st in the "medical district" near the vacant plot are businesses. Including those near the bus stops.

The other thing to highlight here, is that the applicant has deliberately avoided identifying in their proposal, is that the vacant land including an abandoned property next to it, (identified in another submission) is directly opposite Part A of the Private Hospital and that part of Crown St, a main street in Wollongong, is identified by Council and the community as the "Medical District", (demonstrated by the varying height restrictions and the fact Part A of the development is directly opposite the vacant plot). As a result, this site / location is very well serviced with public transport. In fact, there are two bus stops near the vacant plot. One 3 houses before, and one about 4 businesses down from the vacant plot. It is an incredibly well serviced site and would be perfect for the placement of the entrance of the Medical and Emergency Room here.

This brings me to my last point, it's clear from the former-mentioned, that placing part B of the Private Hospital at this vacant lot site would result and require no infrastructure changes at all. The outcome of this would be that all the costs of this development are at the discretion of the developer, not the taxpayer or the government, as it should be.

While I fully support this project given that it can only support the ever growing community of the city of Wollongong I feel that special attention needs to be given to Traffic Management and Parking, not only in and around the new development but also around the existing hospital and medical facilities west of the railway line. There is currently great competition for the on-street parking available for blocks around the hospitals, on a daily basis. Ride sharing for staff while recommended is not the reality. With the increase of these great facilities older and less mobile people will be attracted to the area for treatment and services. The roads are currently very dangerous at the moment and in reality difficult to cross. Sensible speed limits need to be considered and as well as the placement of traffic calming devices and pedestrian crossings. Thanks for the opportunity to include my thoughts.

We object to the project as it stands. The projects identifes one giant 9 storey building. The objection is based on the following grounds.
A) The proposal suggests; that it will provide a 24 hour emergency dept to support Illawarra Health ED (Emergency Dept). However, the definition, in this development's context, needs to be clarified. Is this going to be a 24 hour primary care unit? (GP practice), similar to the Emergency at Bulli Hospital? or will it be a fully functioning Emergency dept? And if so, what level? The illawarra needs one that will it provide level 3-4 services similar to the ED in CBD Sydney? A separate 24 hour primary care service can also be attached. But the definition needs to be clarified because as it stands, the term "E.D." it is misleading.
B) Wollongong Medical Centre, also located on Crown St, was established and approved, in the 80s on the basis that it would function as a 24 hour "E.D." to support Illawarra Health. Leave was granted and codes and policy ignored by Council based on the notion it would assist the community. Once approval was granted, the only people the medical centre served was the owners.
Instead of an "E.D", this centre functioned as a "primary care" unit. A GP's medical centre. And. after a few months, the medical centre (despite being in high demand), stopped staying open 24 hours and closed it's doors at 10pm. Over time, it closed sooner and sooner, so, that after a few years it was closing at 6pm. The doctors wanted to spend time with their young families, they said. A lack of doctors / GPs was not the issue. The community had been deliberately misled with the issues this centre would or could manage and so, would redirect people requiring "ED" care to ED at Wollongong Hospital.
The service became a CASH and RUN scenario. A cash cow. A revolving door of patients, and money earned by the owners. They became multimillionaires and moved to Bellevue Hill and Rosebay and eventually, sold the business.
So, the issue here is, is this proposed development also manipulating the system to get approval? Is it going to be a genuine ED? and will it be 24 hours or not? or is it misleading the intent and change it's policies once approval if given and opens it's doors? All I see here is yet another cash cow, with little or no relief for the community, E.D. patients once again being redirected to Wollongong Hospital after hours.
C), What makes the E.D. systems work in Sydney, is that every hospital in the city have fully functioning ED. Most of which are level 4. (Refer to footnote (1)) Each ED is fully functioning, capable of addressing all needs. Further to this system, all services are in constant communication. Paramedics are also included in this communication web. So when an ED is full, the paramedics are redirected to a hospital, to an ED that has available beds. Thus, no patient waits more than 15 minutes to be seen, and 30 minutes to be assessed. Will this happen in this instance? or again, is this nothing but a cash and grab?
D)The other reason the system in Sydney works, particularly in the Eastern Suburbs complex (ie POWH, Sydney Kids, Royal Women's), is that the hospitals are linked via corridors and staff, so medical teams and emergencies can easily to move within the complex, from one hospital to the other, in "covered" corridors. They are in constant communication despite separate management.
The design presented here doesn't offer this. It is nothing but a stand alone business. So, if there was an emergency that the proposed "ED", couldn't address, and say needed to be transferred to Wollongong Hospital or in the rare extreme circumstance, needed to be air lifted to a Sydney-based hospital , there is no easy access corridors to get that patient from hospital A (the proposal) to hospital B (Wollongong) or the helipad. Hence, this makes me wonder whether this proposal is of any value at all? Again, a cash and grab by the developers.
E) The other issue in the Illawarra, is the inability to attract top students and the best of the best consultants. Instead, they prefer Sydney CDB Hospitals or the regional New Castle hospitals. This design does nothing to assist this. There is nothing innovative, enticing or appealing about it. Again, bringing to mind, a cash and grab scenario by the developer. The Illawarra, needs highly qualified, highly specialised staff and the brightest students and minds. The design needs to be amended to appeal to those groups.
F) Next the overarching slogan for the region is , "City of Innovation" yet this design provides nothing innovative! it is a 9 storey block! Buildings such as this design contribute to global warming and the environmental issues we now see. This needs to be considered in this design, if the government is genuine in its claims to tackle this problem. In fact, this should be considered on all future developments, including hospitals.
G) Finally, the design is aesthetically unattractive. I would think, the purpose of any major development is to improve the life of those who reside and work in a region, and compliment the topography, respecting the region's history whilst looking toward the future. Thus, producing a design or product that will stand the test of time. This design, seriously fails on this.
Further to this, it breaches the height restrictions in the area and streets it proposes to build in. In fact, the proposed is a massive building smack in the middle of low density residential homes, with strict height restrictions. Which is rather ridiculous given the associated implications.
H) Hence, I propose the following alternative design / options. A much better layout that addresses all of the former-mentioned issues. That is, separate the design into 3 separate parts. Medical Services, Medical residence and Executive Residence. And include a "bridge(s)" connecting the hospitals and /or buildings. (underground or above ground).
Attachment 1 : Provides a visual of a better alternative that considers the private hospital as stand alone.
Key to images in the attachment:
Red: VACANT LAND. Proposed site for stand alone Medical Services, including "E.D". height? est between 4-5 storeys.
Blue: Proposed site for executive stand alone homes. (no more than 2 storeys). Architecturally designed.
Pink: Proposed bridge(s) linking the sites (underground or above)
Green: Proposed Medical Residences (no more than 2 storeys).
Ensure ALL buildings have enough under-ground parking for ALL the residents and visitors.
The end result of this, is a better layout, that meets current height restrictions, more aesthetic appeal, provides easy access between each site and considers the future.
The other benefit to this is that it is cost effective in that it best uses the current infrastructure and No significant changes to infrastructure are required. The ED entrance is on the the main street, Crown St, next to the bus stop. d. Similar models such as this, work very well in Sydney and other health services I have worked in.
The "Medical suites " and "ED" should be located directly opposite the hospital on 413 - 417 Crown St. This is Vacant land, that has stood vacant for 60+ years. Then an underground tunnel or above ground bridge can be built linking the Medical Suites to the currently standing Private hospital buildings. This way, medical professionals and all staff have easy access between both hospitals.
Given this site will only hold the medical services (including the proposed emergency), then the building should be lower, thus being less obtrusive to the environment. Possibly 4-5 storeys, above ground (and ensuring there is enough parking space for staff and visitors). Significant and appropriate landscaping also should be mandated, including 10m trees to support the green house and global warming issues.
Next, the medical residental building should be placed at 368 -366 Crown St Wollongong. The best residential building I ever lived in was at Tamworth. it was only 2 storeys (the medical staff lived on the first floor and nursing and allied health ground floor and there was a pool for staff. It included, staff mixers. it also was landscaped. And all staff had space for their cars. In this case, this would be underground 2-3 levels. This model should be considered for this site also. It worked, and it worked very well and attracted the best students/staff.
Finally, 15-21 Urunga Pde, should be developed as high end, architecturally designed Executive residences. These residences, should be included in packages to attract the very best medical consultants and CEOs to the area. (A practice the Eastern Suburbs use). This also should also be landscaped to address issues of global warming and again including 5-10m trees. The maximum height of these buildings should be 2 storeys and very comfortable, you want good staff to stay! Thus meeting the height restrictions in the area.
Doing this, consultants, medical staff etc can access both the medical suites, ED and the currently standing private hospital easily. And they're comfortable enough, to encourage long term employment, and attract highly skilled and qualified professionals, including top students.
Separate to this proposal but equally valuable to consider, there is an almost always empty car lot that exists directly opposite the current private hospital. If the public and private hospital could consider working together, then this site could be better utilised. First, to create underground car park (currently near it) and then place on top a 2 storey medical resident building. This would also meeting the residential height restictions of the area effectively and attractively landscaped to meet the requirements of global warming.
Then another bridge (underground or above ground) can be built between the two sites (the medical residences and the private hospital) so that there is easy access between all buildings, including the public, private and landing pad f

Please refer to the attachments.

1. The expanded project will have a substantial impact on the residents of the area
2. Traffic flow on Urunga Parade will not support the proposed access for the hospital or the redevelopment of the hospital trafffic
3. What noise and traffic flow impact will an ED have on the residents of the area
4. Parking in the whole area is already gridlocked there is no room for expansion, there is no capacity for visitors parking for residents
5. During development of the first building dust and noise pollution was significant for residents
6..During ground work our house was full of dust with the prevailing wind for 6 months
7. Noise from the existing building air conditioner is already disturbing and requires I close all front facing windows, what will additional building do to the noise level
8. Matthews St is a residential street, will it now become a major thoroughfare for ambulances!
9. Stating that the private hospital will assist the burden on the public system is untrue unless they are willing to take public patients routinely not just during a COVID crisis
10. the original planning/expansion has been changed why?

pls note, the developer suggests in his/her submission that there was community involvement prior to the submission of it's plans. This is incorrect. There was and has been ZERO communication.

I / We object to the project as it stands. the projects identifes one giant 9 storey building. The objection is based on the following grounds.
A) As an outsider looking in, the proposal suggests the following things. 1a) that it will provide a 24 hour emergency dept to support the Illawarra Health ED. Hence, the question needs to be addressed, is this going to be a 24 hour primary care unit? (GP practice) or a fully functioning Emergency dept? And if so, what level? will it provide level 4 services similar to the ED in CBD Sydney?

Wollongong Medical Centre, also located on Crown St, was established and approved, in the 80s on the basis that it would function as a 24 hour ED to support Illawarra Health. Leave was granted and codes and policy ignored by Council based on the notion it would assist the community. In the end, and once approval was granted, the only people the medical centre served was the owners. After a few months, the medical centre (despite being in high demand), closed it's doors at 10pm. And then it closed sooner and sooner. So, that after a few years it closed at 6pm. People used the service, and people were directed from ED Wollongong Hospital, but the doctors would send them back to ED Wollongong .In short, it became a CASH and RUN scenario by the owners. A cash cow, and literally a revolving door, cattle call of patients and money by the owners. They then sold the buiness, became multimillionaires and moved to Bellevue Hill. Will this happen in the proposed development? Manipulating the system to make more money over providing a genuine service.

Next, What makes the systems work in Sydney, is that each ED is fully functioning, capable of addressing all needs, and they, including the paramedics are in constant contact with the EDs, so when they're full, they notify the paramedics and direct them to the ED has available beds. thus, no patient waits more than 15 minutes to be seen, and 30 minutes to be assessed. Will this happen in this instance? or is it a cash and grab.

The other reason the system in Sydney works, especially in the Eastern Suburbs, is that the hospitals are linked and staff, medical teams and emergencies are within covered walking distance. This design doesn't provide this. So, if there was an emergency at the ED, that couldn't be addressed, and needed to be air lifted to Sydney, there are no easy access points to get the patient from hospital A to hospital B and the helipad. Hence, this makes me wonder whether this proposal is of any value at all? Again, a cash and grab by the developers.

The other issue in the Illawarra, is the inability to attract top students and the best of the best consultants. They preferring CDB Hospitals or New Castle hospitals (a regional hospital). This design does nothing to assist this. There is nothing innovative, enticing or appealing about it. Again, bringing to mind, a cash and grab scenario by the developer. the Illawarra, needs highly qualified, highly specialised and the brightest students and minds. So, the design needs to be amended to appeal to those groups.

Next the overarching slogan for the region is , "the City of Innovation" yet this design provides nothing innovative! it is a 9 storey block, which concerns be further because buildings such as this design contribute to global warming and environmental issues we now see. This needs to be considered if the government is genuine in tackling this problems, and should be considered on all developments, including hospitals.

C) And finally, the design also is aesthetically unattractive. and breaches the height restrictions in the area and street. In fact, the proposed building is smack in the middle of residential homes. Which is rather ridiculous.

hence, I propose the following alternative design / options. A much better layout to meet the former-mentioned issues. pls refer to the attached documents.

In short, break the design up into 3-4 buildings. Resulting in the development meeting current height restrictions, more aesthetic appeal and providing easy access between each site. Also, using the current infrastructure, and the main street, Crown St, so that no significant changes to infrastructure are required.

Basically, the "Medical suites " and "ED" should be places directly opposite the hospital on 413 - 417 Crown St. Vacant land, that has stood vacant for 60+ years. then an underground tunnel or above ground bridge can be built linking the two buildings together, so medical professionals and staff have easy access from A to B. Given this site will only hold the medical services (including the proposed emergency), then the building will be lower. Possibly 4-5 storeys, above ground and ensuring there is enough parking space for staff and visitors. Significant and appropriate landscaping also should be mandated, including 10m trees to support the green house and global warming issues.

Next, the medical residental buildings should be placed at 368 -366 Crown St Wollongong. The best residential building I ever lived in was at Tamworth. it was only 2 storeys (the medical staff lived on the first floor and nursing and allied health ground floor and there was a pool for staff. It included, staff mixers. it also was landscaped. And all staff had space for their cars. In this case, this would be underground 2-3 levels. This model should be considered for this site also. It worked, and it worked very well and attracted the best students/staff.

Next, the Buildings, 15-21 Urunga Pde, should be developed as high end Executive residences. These residences, should be used to attract, and include in packages for the best medical consultants and CEOs. The residences should also be landscaped to address global warming. The maximum height of these buildings should be 2 storeys and very comfortable. you want good staff to stay! This proposal also meets the height restrictions in the area and of course the sites must be landscaped again including 5-10m trees.

Doing this, medical staff have easy and are close to both hospitals, and they're comfortable so long term employment and stays are welcomed.

Now, there also is an almost empty car lot that is almost always empty. If the public and private hospital could coordinate, this site could be better utilised. First, dig down to create an underground car park and then place on top a 2 storey (again meeting the residential height restictions of the area) medical residences building. Again effectively and attractively landscaped to meet the requirements of global warming. Then again, a bridge (underground or above ground) can be built between the two sites (refer to image) so that there is easy access between all buildings, including the public, private and landing pad for the helicopters.

In conclusion, you want this development to do what it's supposed to do and what it is reporting it's intent. that is, provide a high quality service to the community, that attracts and retains the best possible staff and lessen the burden on the ED at Wollongong Hospital. You simply do not want this to be a money grab to the developers, as so many others before them have proven to be. As well as protecting the environment and meeting the global warming goals.

the end.

I would support the project providing the following are taken into consideration:

Whilst the EP&A regs (and consent conditions) may limit the required upgrade works to existing portions of the building unless they are demonstrated to be unsafe, due to the highly integrated nature of the existing and new portions of the hospital, any fire strategy developed for the new works must include clear consideration for the existing strategy. The fire engineer must be required to confirm they understand the strategy in the existing building, and have considered that the new building/changes do not invalidate the existing strategy and there aren't conflicts between the way the existing and new portions operate.

From the above, it is recommended that at minimum, the Consent Authority should require that the fire safety strategy documentation for the site be consolidated into a single Fire Safety Strategy for the entire building (new and old). This would only be a Fire Safety Strategy document, this request is not intended to require the fire engineer to re-assess existing non-compliances against the current code in areas not being upgraded. Rather for safe future operation of the facility, having a single point of truth reduces the chance of unsafe conditions or improper design/maintenance/operation occurring.
I provide no comment on whether or not the Consent Authority should require a full upgrade, as I am not intimately familiar with the existing building and insufficient information is provided to determine if Section 64 should be invoked.

The Consent Authority should require that any fire engineering report clearly refer to the outcomes of any dangerous goods (DGs) assessment and incorporate them as requirements for the building. Unfortunately DG requirements do not sit under the building code and may be missed in ongoing maintenance for that reason.

As a note to the Consent Authority, the 8 Performance Solutions listed in the BCA report appears to be a short list derived from the set of plans only. If the Consent Authority requires a fuller understanding of the BCA departures we would recommend that they ask the BCA consultant to include likely, but unconfirmed, Performance Solutions from their experience on hospitals. It is likely there will be well over 20 or 30 BCA departures through the project as many of these on hospitals are raised from services/medical gases items that are designed further down the track. Though these additional items tend to be small technical non-compliances.