Planning for the Future
Greenwich Hospital Development
Planning for the Future
Greenwich Hospital Development
Latest News
HammondCare’s vision to transform Greenwich Hospital into an integrated health campus has been enhanced with detailed design showing reduced building heights within the approved envelope, maximised greenspace and better views of historic Pallister House.
The proposed development has moved to the detailed design phase following approval for the Concept State Significant Development (SSD) in November 2020. HammondCare have called for community feedback on the detailed design.
When completed, the new campus will offer specialised health services for seniors and others with complex health needs, including Palliative Care, Rehabilitation, Dementia Care and treatment for mental health. Also included will be serviced seniors living that will provide older people with chronic health conditions who want to live independently access to 24/7 health services provided by a subacute hospital – a first for NSW and one of few in Australia.
Enhancement in response to Concept approval
The transformation of Greenwich Hospital from a dated 1960’s facility, into an integrated, contemporary healthcare campus requires a two-phase planning approval process.
The first planning approval was the Concept design – this was approved by the Independent Planning Commission in November 2020 and covered the proposed campus vision, demolition of all structures other than Pallister house, proposed building envelopes, and tree protection. Since this approval, we have been developing the design in readiness for the second planning application – known as the detail design.
The detailed design, which is consistent with the approved Concept, has building articulation and widespread greenery and plantings, including on balconies, roofs and podiums, to integrate the proposed structures with the landscape.
Key enhancements in response to the Concept approval include:
- Reducing building height
- Further greening of the site through landscaped edge conditions, green roofs and terraces and enhancing the tree canopy
- Relocating non-care elements such as loading provisions and carparking underground (where possible) to maximise greenspace and ground level pedestrian connectivity
- Improving safety and accessibility on site by providing for service vehicle movements into the basement
- Enhancing views of the heritage-listed Pallister House which will continue to provide research and administrative functions
- Improving direct-level access and connection to nature for residents, patients, visitors and staff
- Incorporating interpretation installations to communicate the site’s Indigenous and European Heritage
- Development of the landscape design to accommodate all patients, regardless of ability, including access to paths and walks with interactive and informative points of interest
Increased services
The Greenwich Health Campus concept includes a hospital and healthcare facility with a mix of inpatient beds and residential aged care beds, including dementia care, outpatient services, serviced seniors living, and respite accommodation.
The campus reflects that healthcare is changing, with a preference for shorter hospital stays, more treatments in home, and demand for improved access to specialised health services and greater choice on how to receive care.
Cars will be relocated to basement parking, maximising greenspace on the 3.6ha site.
Other services to be offered at the campus will include HammondCare At Home (in-home care for seniors) and the research and education functions of The Dementia Centre, The Palliative Centre and The Centre for Positive Aging.
There is no comparable integrated health campus in the Northern Sydney Local Health District.
Community Engagement
Thank you to those community members and interested stakeholders who attended the online community information sessions held Monday 28 March and Thursday 31 March 2022.
The information sessions were a great opportunity for community members to ask questions of the HammondCare project team and we will be holding follow up meetings to work through any questions which require more detail. A copy of the presentation slides for the sessions is available to view and download here.
If you have any questions or would like to speak with a member of the team, please contact us:
Phone 1300 426 666
What is proposed?
Palliative and supportive care
Rehabilitation and mental health care for older people
Serviced seniors living units, with support services to provide ‘ageing in place’ opportunities for older people to stay in their homes longer
HammondCare At Home services to support seniors in the local community
Specialised dementia support services available for people living with dementia and their carers
More inpatient beds across palliative care, rehabilitation, dementia care and older peoples' mental health
Our vision for Greenwich Hospital will make the most of the leafy green grounds with the revised concept plan saving more trees.
Improved parking with double the number of carspaces, mostly located in undercover locations to maximise greenspace
Documents
Approved development plans (architecture & landscape)
Current statutory approvals
Sydney Water Approval
- Notice of requirements- Stage 1
- Notice of requirements - Financial only - Stage 2
- Notice of requirements - Stage 3
- Overall footing plan
- Approval Stage 2
- Approval Stage 3
Ausgrid Approval
Strategies, plans and programs
- Biodiversity Management Plan
- Environmental Management Plan
- Flood Emergency Response sub-Plan
- Noise & Vibration Management Plan
- Community Communications Strategy
- Soil & Water Management Plan
- Traffic & Pedestrian sub-Management Plan
- Waste Management sub-Plan
- Demolition Work Plans
- Dilapidation Report
- Staging Plans
- JHA (Builder) Design Plans
FAQs
What does Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approval for the Greenwich Health Campus mean?
The IPC granted consent to the Redevelopment of Greenwich Hospital (Concept) on November 10, 2020, subject to conditions. The approval is for the concept, or general building envelope, and does not permit the carrying out of any works on site until approval is granted for a more detailed Development Application.
HammondCare sought concept approval for a new hospital and health care building, respite care facility, two seniors living buildings and 329 car parking spaces on the 3.4-hectare River Road site. Under the $141.5 million proposal, all existing buildings would be demolished – except for the heritage listed Pallister House.
The conditions imposed with the approval include limiting the building heights on the site to address bulk and scale concerns and the planting of 86 trees to enhance the existing canopy. The conditions also restrict occupancy of the serviced seniors living accommodation to seniors, people with a disability and people from their households.
The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) finalised its whole-of-government assessment of the State Significant Development application in September, before it moved to the IPC for final determination.
In releasing its decision, the IPC stated: “The Commission agrees with the Department’s findings … that the proposed integrated hospital and seniors living development is strategically justified and is in the public interest, and that the identified impacts can be appropriately managed through the conditions of consent imposed, and through the subsequent detailed application.
Why is development proposed for this site?
Greenwich Hospital has been operating since 1966 and currently provides more than 34,000 outpatient and in-home occasions of care, as well as almost 28,000 inpatient bed days annually.
HammondCare’s long-term aim is to create a modern and integrated hospital campus at Greenwich. We want to cater for the growing health care demand and deliver additional services to meet the community’s needs in the coming decades. The number of people aged 65 or older in Northern Sydney is expected to increase to 18% by 2031.
The vision for Greenwich Health Campus is for an integrated and accessible model of care, welcoming patients, residents, visitors and the wider community to access specialist services including: inpatient and outpatient palliative care, rehabilitation, older persons’ mental health, dementia care, restorative care, supporting seniors‘ living and emergency and short-term respite.
These integrated services will be provided flexibly to meet people’s needs through a mix of day clinic services and short, medium- and long-term options. The vision will transform the hospital facility suitable for the 1960s into a health campus able to meet the needs of the ageing population into the 2060s.
More details on HammondCare’s long-term vision for the site is outlined in the document Greenwich Health Campus Vision.
What is HammondCare proposing for the site?
The Concept Proposal approved by the Independent Planning Commission substantially increased hospital and health care beds.
That proposal, and the revised Concept submitted in August 2091, mean the future Greenwich Health Campus will provide services such as:
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Palliative and Supportive Care
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Rehabilitation and mental health care for older people
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Older persons’ mental health
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Supported seniors’ living, including 89 new units with support services to provide “aging in place” opportunities for older people
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Specialised dementia support services available for people living with dementia and their carers.
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Respite Care
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Community aged care through Hammond At Home – home care service for both on and offsite seniors living residents
What changes to the Concept Proposal did HammondCare announce in August 2019?
Following the exhibition of the Concept and consideration of the resulting submissions and stakeholder consultation, HammondCare announced key modifications to the Concept Proposal that include:
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Protection of the tree canopy through the adjustment of the building footprint, saving 48 more existing trees, and a commitment to plant more than 60 new trees
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A reduction in the bulk and scale of the Serviced Seniors Living buildings by up to two floors at the western end to minimise visual impact on neighbours and Pallister House
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Deletion of Seniors Living Villas along St Vincents Road to enhance the Pallister House heritage curtilage, with a new respite care facility added
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A new sightline to Pallister House from River Road
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Removal of proposed driveway widening to retain the tree canopy and minimise civil works
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Changes to the hospital basement to increase the setback from Pallister House
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A new construction staging program to prioritise health services