The $630 million Bendigo Hospital project is complete with the new helipad and car park to open on Wednesday.
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Helicopters will be able to transport patients to and from Bendigo from 7am, Wednesday, while from 6am staff and visitors to the hospital will have 505 more car spaces to choose from.
Parking is free for the first half hour and costs $2 per hour after that capped at a maximum of $8 a day.
The car park and helipad were part of the second and final stage of the Bendigo hospital project.
Bendigo Health chairman Bob Cameron and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan toured the newly completed car park and helipad on Tuesday at the end of the 12-year project.
Mr Cameron said he hopes to hold the official opening of the project in August.
“It's 12 years since we started on this journey and it really is a great thing for Bendigo Health and the city,” he said.
“Now that the project has finished, the state (government) will give us a date, which we expect will be in mid-August, where we hope to have the premier open the completed stages of the hospital.”
Ms Allan said in some respects the 12 years had gone in the blink of an eye.
“It feels that way on one level, from when Bob and I stood at the corner of Stewart and Bayne streets making the announcement that a returned Labor government would push for the planning of a new hospital,” she said.
“The end result is why we fought so hard for this project. It means being able to treat more people, closer to where they live, in a world-class facility with fantastic staff.”
Ms Allan said car parking and traffic congestion around the hospital precinct had been top priorities for Bendigo Health during the initial consultation phase.
“Car parking has been a challenge and, with the sequencing of the project, (the new car park) had to be in stage two because we had to move hospital from this site,” she said.
“That was only at the end of January last year, so it is a quick turnaround to construct the car park with a helipad on top.
“It put additional pressure on local streets but that pressure will start to come off now with 505 new car spaces. I’m confident they will be filled and used quickly to take pressure of the local streets.”
The hospital project has also brought a surge of people to Bendigo’s health and community services.
“With the hospital able to treat more patients and a wider range of patients, it has brought other medical and allied health services to Bendigo,” Ms Allan said.
“It means Tafe and universities can offer more courses to study and work locally.
“(This project) has generated so much more activity beyond the treatment of patients. There are jobs, education and training pathways available that are important for our community.”
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