Hutchinson Builders awarded tender for Albany Hospital expansion and Meekatharra Hospital redevelopment

Construction tenders for upgrading hospitals in both the Great Southern and Mid West have been awarded to a single contractor. Hutchinson Builders was announced as the successful recipient of the State Government tender to undertake both the Albany Health Campus expansion and Meekatharra Hospital redevelopment on Thursday. The company received the bundled tender for both hospitals based on its past construction projects in regional environments. The expansion of Albany Health Campus includes the construction of a 32-bed modular ward, which involves building hospital components off-site in controlled conditions before transporting and then assembling them on-site. The method is employed to reduce disruption to original facilities during construction. Redevelopments at Meekatharra Hospital will include upgraded emergency services, renal dialysis, modern inpatient facilities, enhanced patient support areas and upgraded ICT systems to support hospital logistics. Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey said the bundled tender resulted from him “re-examining” regional WA hospital projects. “In this case, we are building Meekatharra and Albany together as one tender to make the program of works more attractive to builders, and are embracing modular construction for both builds to reduce construction delays,” he said. “Our government is investing a record $4.9 billion in health infrastructure, and we’re also driving procurement reform to accelerate works and secure the best value for taxpayers.” Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the upgrades will help ensure regional communities have close access to care. “These upgrades will provide staff and local communities with modern facilities and enhanced digital capability to support high-quality, patient-centred care,” she said. Former health minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the Albany modular ward should be operational by 2027.