Laverton hospital set to open after cost hits $67.6 million
New eight-bed Laverton Hospital in WA's remote Goldfields reaches completion at $67.6 million, more than triple the original budget.
The new eight-bed Laverton Hospital is set to open this week, about 950 kilometres north-east of Perth, replacing a facility built in 1973. The 2015 estimate was $19.5 million; a tender was $37.5 million; the final cost is $67.6 million, which includes $16.8 million in federal funding.
Health Minister Meredith Hammat said remote location costs are always challenging but the facility is vital. The hospital has a 24-hour emergency department with telehealth, flexible care beds, and space for visiting specialists and a GP clinic.
The Shire of Laverton has pushed for a redevelopment for more than a decade. The hospital becomes more critical as the Outback Way road development brings more traffic and mining workers through the isolated region.
- $67.6 million
- Final cost
- 950 kilometres north-east
- Distance from Perth
- 1973 facility
- Replacement age
- Eight
- Beds available
Why it mattersRegional healthcare access improves for an isolated community and the thousands of fly-in, fly-out workers in the area.
AustraliaLaverton residents and mining workers in WA's far north now have modern emergency and specialist care on site instead of long evacuations to Perth.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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