Nepean Hospital Integrated Stage 1 and 2

MBM Project Lead

David Madden

Client Name

NSW Health Infrastructure

Sector

Health & Research

Timeline

2016 – Q1 2022 (Stage 1)
2019 - Estimated 2026 (Stage 2)

Project Value

$1.031bn

MBM Project Team

  • David Madden – Director
  • Autumn Lu – Director
  • Chanel Ong- Associate Director

Services Provided

MBM has to date provided cost planning, cost reporting, cashflow forecast, Pre-tender estimates, BoQ, ECI tender review and negotiation services for the main tower and post contract services including variation and progress claim assessment for enabling works construction management packages

Project Background and Scope

The Nepean Hospital Redevelopment Stage 1 provides a new 57,000sqm 14 storey Acute Services building situated in the existing hospital campus. Engaged since the project inception in 2016, MBM have been part of the planning and delivery of this massive yet complex project.

The major redevelopment of the existing hospital comprised of providing additional facilities such as:

  • Emergency Department, PECC, Operating Theatres, ICU, Birthing Suites and Maternity, CSSD, Neonatal Intensive Care and a helipad.
  • In addition to the new Hospital, MBM also delivered a new 650 car space Multi-Storey Carpark with a temporary helipad located on the roof of the carpark.

A further $450m was to be committed for Stage 2 as part of the Nepean Hospital Redevelopment Project which brought the total project capital investment to $1b. The Stage 2 Tower currently planned over 32,000sqm and further expands and accommodates various facilities including a new front of house, Education and Training, Interventional Radiology, Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, CCL and CCU, Incentre Haemodialysis and Renal Inpatient Units and Paeds.

Along with the construction of the new 32,000sqm tower there is also substantial amount of refurbishment works that will be undertaken including, relocation of Pathology and Pharmacy facility as well as significant refurbishment for Back of House services including a new loading dock and waste apron that will be revamped to accommodate the new $1.031b hospital.

Project Challenges

The Nepean Hospital Redevelopment has faced a range of complex challenges inherent to delivering a major health infrastructure project of this size on an existing hospital campus.

One of the key challenges faced early in the planning phase was managing stakeholders and user expectation. Arguably, with a sizable budget like Nepean, the desire of varying scope from users meant that scope prioritization.

Similarly, like any brownfield project, managing ongoing disruptions to hospital operations during construction meant that extensive services diversions and relocations needed to be carefully considered during the planning phase. A well thought out decant strategy and staging plan was pivotal in the sequencing of Stage 1 to Stage 2 and the impact of time and cost outcomes of the job.

The Project was also delivered using a VECI (Very Early Contractors Involvement) and moving into an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) procurement methodology which effectively means that the Contractor assumes the design role and becomes an integral part of the Project from a very early stage. Whilst this process aims to save on time, this approach is more collaborative and challenging as the lines between the Project Team, Client and Contractor are blurred with each party having an ongoing responsibility rather than a traditional handover to the Contractor to build after the design process has been completed. The MBM team led by David Madden had to adapt quickly to be able to respond appropriately to the project requirements with this unique (although more common these days than 8 years ago when this project commenced) procurement model.

What also makes the $1.031b project unique is the several projects that were delivered within the funding allocation which included but were not limited to; Lithgow MRI, Nepean Pathology, Somerset Childcare, Nepean Cancer Care Centre, Katoomba Renal Dialysis Centre and the new Community Health. MBM managed almost 20 separable portions of work with differing contract and procurement models and several Contractors ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 3 on the same hospital campus