Dear Bathurst Community,
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Four years ago, Bathurst was offered a state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary medical centre by private investors. This centre, the Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre (BIMC) will not proceed as it currently stands. As prospective tenants of the facility, we feel that this is a huge loss to our town.
It is important for the community to know that in the years we have interacted with the developers, we have found them to be honest and forthcoming in their intentions. Yes, they are private investors, but they have always demonstrated to us a genuine desire at the heart of their project to provide a much needed health service for our community. With the support of local health care providers, and Bathurst Regional Council (BRC), an enormous amount of money and time has been invested into an agreed plan that was forwarded to the State Government for approval. It should be noted that all prospective tenants were satisfied with the CBD location of the development.
BRC then tabled a late request for an additional level of car parking. BIMC were prepared to include this in the development if BRC could contribute an additional $5 million towards this extra parking. Sadly, BRC is not able to fund this. If BRC was able to change their position, or if the Local or Federal Members were able to get the State or Federal Governments to make funds available for the extra floor, perhaps the investor would proceed with the Development Application. This would increase the 330 existing car parks behind the RSL to 740 and Bathurst benefits from more parking in the CBD.
As we understand it, the proposed multi-storey 740 parking facility would have included the following components:
- Ground Floor: 230 car parks owned by BRC.
- First Floor: 170 car parks owned by BIMC, with 70 of these reserved for tenants and 100 available to the community.
- Second Floor: 170 car parks owned by the RSL, accessible for members and community use.
- Third Floor: 170 car parks owned by BRC. This is the floor that has no funding and has been the demise of the project.
Bathurst deserves a multi-disciplinary medical precinct in the CBD. BIMC was set to house the private hospital, a general practice, and other critical healthcare services including medical imaging, a pathology service and potentially a pharmacy. In addition to BIMC's location being well placed for all Bathurst residents in terms of public transport and taxi services, co-locating various healthcare facilities within the BIMC would have fostered collaboration among medical professionals. Locating hospital services, general practice, specialist clinics, diagnostic services and pharmacy all under one roof enables streamlined patient referrals, interdisciplinary consultations, and comprehensive care. When doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals work closely together, patient outcomes improve significantly.
A thriving medical precinct attracts investment, stimulates local businesses, and creates jobs. Bathurst faces a shortage of GPs, specialists, and other healthcare professionals. The BIMC would offer a powerful solution to the challenges of workforce shortages. Providing state-of-the-art facilities attracts new clinicians to the region, and supports them to establish roots in our community to stay long term. The current private hospital premises are in need of refurbishment, and this project would have allowed them to relocate and reinstate themselves in a modern, fit for purpose private hospital, and expand the already amazing service it provides our community. As our population grows, having a robust medical centre becomes more and more critical.
We feel very fortunate to be part of a team of health professionals across our town who work hard to provide excellent care to our community, within the constraints under which we work. The demise of the BIMC development plan has dealt a significant blow, and is a major setback for the town in adequately preparing for the inevitable population growth we face.
Future-proofing medical care in Bathurst is a crucial component of ensuring Bathurst continues to be the thriving, caring community that we know and love. BIMC represents more than just a building with additional car parking. It's an investment in our health, economy and future.
