Canberra is set to receive its fourth private hospital - located alongside the new public hospital to be constructed at the University of Canberra.
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A fortnight after the ACT Government passed its variation to the Territory plan allowing for an estimated $1 billion redevelopment of UC's expansive Bruce campus, Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker confirmed a deal was imminent in securing a private hospital for the site.
"I can confirm we are in negotiations regarding a private hospital, as a component of the health cluster. I hope we can conclude the negotiations soon, although I can't give a timeline for delivery."
Meanwhile, Moran Health has just been confirmed to have won a 150-bed Commonwealth aged care and dementia service to be established on campus.
Both these developments were part of the reason the ACT Government took extraordinary steps to stop the Opposition passing a disallowance motion on the territory variation on Thursday.
Professor Parker said he had not been informed by the ACT Liberals they were planning the move, although he had offered to brief them in May about some concerns about the UC's expansions. Some developers within the Belconnen Town Centre have expressed fears UC will draw too much trade from established businesses.
Professor Parker contests the UC's plans will revitalise Belconnen and the health cluster would bring people from Canberra and the region. He said any moves to reverse the planning approvals - which actually began under the Stanhope Government in 2008 - could have had serious long-term effects on project viability.
He expected the private hospital's initial operation would be "relatively small-scale".
The public hospital will provide 210 beds - 140 overnight and 70 day stay - and is scheduled for completion in 2018.
UC's Health Precinct will be rolled out on the north-west corner of the campus. Apart from the two news hospitals, it will also include a cluster of independent living and aged care facilities, with plans underway to bring on a major radiation and oncology provider and a medical imaging provider.
Professor Parker said the health precinct would not only deliver the UC with one of the largest health faculties in the country but would make the campus a regional health hub.
"We will substantially boost our coursework offerings in medical imaging and in physics…And we expect student demand for all of our health places will be strong because we will be able to offer more clinical experience and work-integrated learning than anywhere else locally."
He said said clinicians would also be attracted into the ACT by the prospect of joint appointment at the university.
"We expect the cluster will have changed the health landscape, providing a platform for innovations that address the healthcare challenges of the future, and will have improved the health and wellbeing of people in the Canberra region."
As part of the campus redevelopment, UC was negotiating with developers to build 3300 sustainable non-student units and townhouses, and had plans for another childcare centre as well as a commercial hotel.
Professor Parker said he was in the process of a round of community consultation on the issue run by the Belconnen Community Council.
"I see this as the revitalisation of Belconnen Town Centre and want to discuss with the community their views on how best to link the campus and town centre together.
The $1 billion redevelopment is ultimately expected to bring an additional 12,500 people onto the Bruce campus each day.
