City concern over health campus consultation

The State Government’s regional health service provider is under fire over claims it has failed to adequately consult the City of Karratha about plans for the $207 million Karratha Health Campus.

In an extraordinary change of tack from the largely positive sentiment up until now, Mayor Peter Long has revealed a host of concerns held against WA Country Health Service by the City regarding the project.

These include the layout of the site with a carpark around the building, lack of pedestrian links to Balmoral and Warambie Roads, the location of the helipad and visual impacts from battered edges on site.

Mr Long said the City did not support the current layout and hoped there would be a compromise to accommodate some of their suggestions.

“This is a once-in-a-generation project and gives us the opportunity to enhance the work we have already done in our City centre, however, the current design, with a moat of carparking separating the buildings from the CBD, doesn’t achieve this objective,” he said.

“We have a huge amount of carparking on every side of the building as well as battered edges on the site which create a physical separation and a visual eye-sore in a prominent CBD location.

“The City understands the need to balance clinical requirements with design features and aesthetics, however, we don’t believe the current design achieves this.”

Mr Long said the City still supported the controversial decision to build the hospital at the chosen site despite these fresh concerns.

WACHS has been contacted for comment.