Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre builder addresses project misconceptions

He was one of 25 speakers who addressed Bathurst Regional Council on December 14 ahead of it making a decision on a planning proposal that sought an amendment to the Local Environment Plan (LEP) to permit the building to be constructed at a height of 29 metres.

Council ultimately resolved to adopt the amendment, which was supported by a seven-two vote.

The decision did not approve the development to built, but allowed the plans to progress to the next step.

READ MORE: Why the private hospital needs the Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre to go ahead

Zauner Constructions managing director Garry Zauner, spoke after more than an hour of public forum, during which time most speakers presented objections to the planning proposal.

They raised numerous arguments, with their key concerns being the height (17 metres above the existing planning controls), the location and the impact a development of the proposed size would have on the surrounding area.

Many called for the facility to be co-located with the public hospital.

READ MORE: Councillor Jess Jennings outlines his concerns about multi-storey medical centre proposal

Mr Zauner said he wanted to address some misconceptions about the project that had been raised in the chamber that night.

The first argument he addressed was co-location, saying the possibility had been investigated and deemed unsuitable.

"We spent over four years researching all available sites in Bathurst and we worked closely with other business, with council, with the medical community, and I've even taken up many discussions with opponents of this particular proposal to try and understand where they would see an alternative site," Mr Zauner said.

"If a co-located site with the public hospital were available, which I can assure many of you, as you're probably already aware, isn't a practical outcome, it is also not desirable."

He reminded the room that the development proposed is an integrated medical centre, where only one-sixth of it is a private hospital, and alluded to the CBD activation benefits the BIMC is expected to deliver.

With regards to the height of the development - 29 metres for the BIMC building and 21 metres for the car park - Mr Zauner said the size was of "absolute critical importance".

"I know opponents of this building are frustrated by the height, and I've spent many hours talking to many of them on the phone explaining why it's not shorter and fatter as some of the opponents would like," he said.

"There are very logical, sensible and practical reasons why the height and the verticality of an integrated medical centre make it work, and Bathurst is very lucky ... in that it has test cases for this in Albury and Orange that anyone can willingly explore."

He said the verticality of the building has many advantages, including providing more natural light for the medical practitioners and allowing for a vertical services corridor so that new technology and equipment can be easily introduced in the future.

Regarding concerns that a precedent would be created by the amendment to the LEP, Mr Zauner said the height and floor space variations are site-specific and project-specific.

Mr Zauner also stressed there is no public money in the BIMC.

"And the BIMC is contributing a significant amount of money towards a council asset to support the cars on the site, as many of you will be aware," he said.

"There is no public money being given to us to develop this. We're regional people taking a big risk to bring what we believe regional communities deserve."

Following its decision on December 14, council will forward the BIMC planning proposal to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment for gazettal.

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