Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre team unveils concept plans for $70m CBD hospital

The plans for the $70 million Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre (BIMC) will form part of the application to the state government for consideration of the project as a state significant development.

Bathurst Regional Council has also agreed to place the project on its YourSay Bathurst website to encourage input from the community.

The proposal is for a six-level "one stop" integrated medical centre to be built on the former Clancy Motors site Howick Street, now owned by Bathurst RSL.

The development would include an adjoining five-level car park, increasing the available car spaces from about 330 to as many as 950.

The BIMC consortium and Bathurst RSL will contribute $8.4 million to kick start construction of the planned council-owned car park.

BIMC spokesman Dr Bill Mackie said the hospital development would provide a much-needed boost for Bathurst health facilities.

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"This exciting development will provide the Bathurst community with a much-needed improvement of healthcare facilities," he said.

"It will provide a wide range of services under a single roof enabling greater professional interaction whilst simplifying the patient's management pathway.

"The new facilities will significantly enhance the attractiveness of Bathurst to a wide range of new health professionals."

The proposal has already prompted some concerns over the planned height of the building and impact on traffic congestion in the CBD, but Dr Mackie said the centre of town was best place to provide new health services.

"The decision to locate BIMC in the CBD was because of the range of services that could be co-located with the net effect of increasing employment and services to the CBD, rather than the reverse," he said.

Zauner Construction has been engaged to build the hospital, with the Bathurst development to be modelled on others in regional NSW.

"We have built similar six-level integrated medical centres in the CBD of Albury and the medical precinct of Bloomfield Orange," managing director Garry Zauner said.

"They have both been highly successful and received enormous support from the medical professionals and the local communities they serve."

Once completed, the private hospital development is designed to include facilities such as women's health services, general and specialist practices, pharmacy, medical training, radiology, pathology and other allied health services.

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