The Cairns Hospital Expansion involves the staged redevelopment of the Cairns Hospital Campus and works to the broader health and innovation precinct.
Stage One includes delivery of:
- a Health Innovation and Surgical Centre
- a Health Management Hub
- a 950-space multi-storey staff car park
- a helipad on the existing hospital block D, and
- support sevices.
Potential future stages outlined in the project's Master Plan include delivery of an acute services building, a mental health expansion and further upgrades to the existing hospital. Future stages are subject to further planning, funding, design and additional land acquisition.
Key Dates
| 2022 | Project Announcement |
| 2027 | Expected Construction Commencement |
| 2030 | Expected Construction Completion |
Funding contributions
|
The Queensland Government has committed to providing $1 billion to Stage One of the project. |
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Health Infrastructure Queensland |
| Procurement note: | A Stage One Managing Contractor contract was awarded to Hansen Yuncken in 2023 for delivery of a health services building and redevelopment works to the existing hospital. The Queensland 2025-26 Budget included a $181 million allocation to deliver these works. In 2024, the Government announced the award of the Stage Two MC contract with an amended scope, whereby only the refurbishment works would be delivered by Hansen Yuncken, for an estimated $171 million, and the remainder of the project would be rescoped and later go back to market. |
| Related contracts: |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Jun 2022 | The project was included in the FY2022-23 Queensland Budget under the $9.8 billion Capacity Expansion Program. The initial scope included delivery of a new surgical centre and a 64-bed refurbishment to the existing hospital. |
| May 2023 | The Queensland Government announced that Hansen Yuncken had been awarded Stage One of a Managing Contractor contract for the project. |
| Apr 2025 | The Independent Review of the Capacity Expansion Program was released and identified significant cost escalations to the project. The review recommended refurbishment works continued under the existing MC contract. It also recommended allocating part of the remaining $71 million budget to Health Infrastructure Queensland to appoint a new design team to plan for the development of the health and education precinct, and staging and procurement options for future works. |
| Apr 2025 | The Queensland Government released a response to the Independent Review of the Capacity Expansion Program, accepting both recommendations relating to Cairns Hospital in its Hospital Rescue Plan. |
| Feb 2026 | The Queensland Government finalised its 30-year Master Plan for the staged redevelopment of the Cairns Hospital Campus, alongside a draft structure plan for the broader health and innovation precinct. The Master Plan confirmed the project's total estimated cost of $1 billion. |
