During a budget estimates hearing on August 21, 2023, in Sydney, New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park was caught off guard when Greens MP Amanda Cohn revealed that soil quality at the Albury Hospital had been classified as “P for problem.” This exchange occurred at Parliament House, where Mr. Park responded candidly, saying, “jeez, you’ve got me on that one.”
Dr. Cohn referred to a field investigation conducted by Civiltest Pty Ltd, which assessed environmental factors for the Northeast building currently under construction. She pressed Mr. Park about the implications of this classification, asking, “Are you aware that that investigation found the soil quality at the Albury hospital to be P for ‘problem’?”
In response, Mr. Park acknowledged the issue but did not specify any potential additional costs. Instead, he turned to Troy Harvey, a senior health infrastructure bureaucrat, who noted that hospitals often face “challenging geotechnical and contamination conditions,” indicating that further assessments would be necessary.
Dr. Cohn highlighted the potential financial implications, stating, “Surely this is a huge additional cost moving forward,” particularly concerning the footings of the planned clinical services building. Mr. Park assured the committee that any necessary modifications would be taken into account, although he refrained from detailing what these adjustments might entail.
Following the hearing, Dr. Cohn expressed her disappointment at Mr. Park’s apparent lack of awareness regarding the soil concerns. She remarked, “It was concerning to hear the minister was unaware of the concerns about problem soil, which is likely to hinder or blow out the costs of the redevelopment.”
Concerns about the site were echoed by Benambra MP Bill Tilley, who previously raised issues in 2023 about ground stability and potential structural damage at the Albury hospital. He criticized the government’s handling of the situation, saying, “One day the buildings at Albury Base are cracking, the next it’s all swept under the rug.” He emphasized the urgency of addressing the problems highlighted in the recent report.
Albury Mayor Kevin Mack also acknowledged the longstanding issue of soil quality at the site, noting that it had been identified early in the project. “Certainly, we brought it to their attention as council at the site that when it was originally built, it was unstable,” Cr. Mack stated.
Despite the concerns raised, Albury MP Justin Clancy expressed confidence in the future construction works. He stated, “This new Northeast building and clinical services building, I’ve got confidence that Health Infrastructure will ensure it is engineered adequately, appropriately.” Mr. Clancy further mentioned positive discussions with local construction experts about the project’s feasibility.
As the redevelopment of Albury Hospital progresses, the implications of the soil quality issues remain a point of contention, with financial and structural considerations likely to shape the future of the project.
