$5.3M roof upgrade to top off significant investment in Maryborough Hospital

THE Palaszczuk Government has today announced a $5.3 million roof replacement and repair project for Maryborough Hospital, as part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring the heritage-listed facility continues to be fit for purpose well into the future.

As part of the project, a total of 16 building roofs on the campus will have work completed, with seven to be replaced and nine to have remediation work ranging from simple cleaning and replacement of gutters and roof sheeting to more complex works.

Among the buildings to receive a total roof replacement are the two main hospital blocks and the Rehabilitation Unit.

Assistant Minister for Health and Regional Health Infrastructure Julieanne Gilbert said the roof project was an important infrastructure investment that ensured Maryborough Hospital continued to safely provide its essential services to the community.

“This $5.3 million investment into Maryborough Hospital will ensure the long-term integrity of the roof structure for years to come,” Assistant Minister Gilbert said.

“Many of the buildings on the site have been standing for decades and the physical condition of the roofs have deteriorated over time, leading to structural and infrastructure damage that has required continual maintenance and repair work.

“This investment by the Palaszczuk Government will reduce ongoing maintenance costs and enable Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service to redirect spending on other infrastructure and facility priorities.”

The roof upgrade project comes hot on the heels of the $12.19 million expansion and modernisation of Maryborough Hospital’s emergency and specialist outpatient departments, which were completed last year.

Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders welcomed the latest funding commitment, which would help to ensure the hospital’s longevity.

“This is a significant investment into the Maryborough Hospital site that prepares the buildings so they can house our health services for the decades to come,” Mr Saunders said.

“Maryborough Hospital has a proud history on the site, dating back over a century, and as its services have grown, buildings have been added to the site and renovated to accommodate the health care it provides to the community.

“While the teams and contractors have done a great job maintaining the buildings, it is fantastic to fund more significant work that includes the replacement of the old roofs on the buildings that house some of our key departments, including emergency, specialist outpatients, rehab and inpatient wards.”

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Debbie Carroll said the work, which was expected to be completed by March 2022, had the appropriate heritage approvals and there would be no decrease in patient services during this time.

“This is essential work that will ensure Maryborough Hospital remains an appropriate facility to provide modern health care, while respecting the heritage nature of the site,” Ms Carroll said.

“The contractors will be doing their utmost to minimise disruption at all times, and services will continue as usual.

“However, there may be some necessary disruptions to areas or access points at various stages throughout the course of the project, and we’ll keep our patients and visitors informed of the changes as they affect them.

“I’d like to thank the people of Maryborough in advance for their patience while this work takes place, particularly when there has been recent disruption due to a council road upgrade project. But I would like to reassure them that this important project will ensure they have a facility that continues to meet their needs well into the future.”

There will also be a temporary closure of the Wide Bay Hospitals Museum building for two weeks as its roof is replaced during the work.