Tweed MP Geoff Provest (Nationals) has announced the lodgement today of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Stage 1 State Significant Development (SSD) planning application for Tweed Valley Hospital.
The EIS is the first of two SSD planning submissions for the project, and seeks an overall approval for the hospital concept and consent to commence ‘early and enabling works’ on the contentious Kingscliff site.
‘The submission of the first EIS marks a significant milestone in the delivery of the brand-new state-of-the-art facility for the people of the Tweed-Byron region,’ Mr Provest said.
‘The public exhibition of the EIS is the community’s opportunity to have their say on the design concept and early works for the new hospital and follows on from the extensive community engagement process run to date.
‘The release of the EIS in two stages is a common approach for major projects and will enable delivery of the Tweed Valley Hospital on program, to meet the critical need for more health services in the region. This will be achieved by preparing the site for construction whilst the building design is being finalised,’ he said.
Mr Provest added that a second EIS application covering the detailed design, construction and commissioning of the hospital ‘will follow the same process and is planned for submission in 2019, following determination of the Stage 1 application and completion of schematic design’.
Following today’s lodgement, the Department of Planning and Environment (DoPE) will advertise the dates for the public exhibition of the EIS and invite community feedback.
The formal public exhibition period is expected to run until December 2018 and this is the opportunity for the community to provide their feedback on the EIS.
The document will be available on the DoPE website.
The project team will be running pop-up information booths across the region, as well as offering drop-in sessions at the project office for those wanting further information. Details will be published on the project website.
Briefing sessions have also been scheduled for members of the project’s Community Reference Panel.
‘Already thousands of health professionals, consumers, staff and broader community members have helped shape the planning and design of this brand-new hospital, and we are committed to continuing that conversation all the way through the delivery process,’ Mr Provest said.
‘When construction is fully underway, the Tweed Valley Hospital is expected to deliver around 770 full-time equivalent jobs per construction year and additional clinical and health support roles at the hospital when it opens.
‘It is anticipated that the hospital will generate $425 million in total value added for the region once it is completed.
‘This is a significant investment by the NSW Government in the future of our region,’ he said.
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