The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
Untitled design (8)
FIRST RELEASE TICKETS ON SALE FOR URBANITY-25 THE UNMISSABLE EVENT FOR PROPERTY PROFESSIONALS IN THE ASIA PACIFIC
FIRST TICKETS ON SALE FOR URBANITY-25 UNMISSABLE FOR PROPERTY PROFESSIONALS
SEE DETAILSDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Partner Lab
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
OtherMarisa WikramanayakeWed 29 Nov 23

Be Patient But Take Risks, Healthcare Players Urged

A render of the Sunshine Private Hospital in St Albans, Melbourne.

Taking risks was all part of the strategy for Australian Unity general manager for healthcare Chris Smith when developing what will be Australia’s first all-electric private hospital.

“It’s a case of build it and they will come,” Smith said. “If you don’t build it, they won’t come.”

Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust began construction of the developer in St Albans, 17km north-west of Melbourne, in April, 2021 and it was completed this year.

Currently, 64 per cent of the building is tenanted. The Sunshine Private Hospital is the anchor tenant.

It is opposite the Western Health-operated public hospital Sunshine Hospital. 

The hospital features four operating theatres, an endoscopy suite, a 30-bed medical and surgical ward including high-dependency beds, a 21-bed women’s mental health inpatient unit, mental health outpatient services, consulting suites and sleep study facilities.

Unitas HC will become the operator of the hospital under a 30-year lease deal, while Australian Unity will retain it as an asset. 

The risks, obstacles and key lessons learnt during the process will be the focus of Smith’s presentation at The Urban Developer’s Healthcare Real Estate vSummit on Thursday, November 30.

An aerial view of the Sunshine Private Hospital in St Albans, Melbourne, developed by Australian Unity's Healthcare Property Trust.
▲ An aerial view of the Sunshine Private Hospital in St Albans, Melbourne, developed by Australian Unity's Healthcare Property Trust.

The 51-bed hospital cost $84 million to build. Work on planning for the hospital and its buildings first began in 2008 under a 15-year timeline for its delivery on the 1.34ha site—so patience has also been important. 

“My first introduction to the project was in 2008,” Smith said.

Smith became involved with the project in 2008 but with the financial crisis in that same year, things took longer than expected.

“We finally purchased property in 2017,” Smith said.  

“We are 40 per cent of the way through the journey.”

Smith is referring to the fact that the hospital is just one part of the Sunshine Health Wellbeing and Education Precinct with more buildings planned for the site.

The current building now has two additional floors with the fourth and fifth floor set up so that they can be converted into working lab space once other buildings on the site are completed.

Sunshine is expected to have 1.2 million residents by 2036. Building a private hospital allows for beds to be freed up in the area’s public hospitals providing more accessible services to residents.

It also encourages more health workers to live and work in the area as it becomes easier for them to work in the public and private sectors.

Australian Unity’s Healthcare Property Trust was launched in 1999 with $3.8 billion. 



The Healthcare Real Estate vSummit will take place virtually on Thursday, November 30.  Click here to register and learn more.



InfrastructureAustraliaMelbournePlanningReal EstatePlanningSector
AUTHOR
Marisa Wikramanayake
The Urban Developer
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
North Melbourne Craigieburn HB Land EDM
Exclusive

Tribunal Finding Cruels 1000-Home Melbourne Plan

Clare Burnett
5 Min
Roseville Hycorp EDM
Exclusive

Ku-ring-gai TOD Backflip Slashes 1500 Homes from Under-Way Developments

Clare Burnett
7 Min
Exclusive

Housing Fix Sprint Begins with New Top Planner Pushing 13 Regional Plans

Phil Bartsch
8 Min
Elanor Investors Tweed Mall masterplan
Exclusive

Tweed Marks Time as $900m Mall Redevelopment Goes Quiet

Renee McKeown
6 Min
High-density residential construction in Melbourne
Exclusive

Stabilising Conditions in Melbourne Bring Hopes of Improved Feasibility

Leon Della Bosca
6 Min
View All >
Victorian treasurer Jaclyn Symes' first budget has made infrastructure a winner but left the property sector behind.
Policy

Victoria’s Infrastructure Program Wins Budget Blessing

Marisa Wikramanayake
North Melbourne Craigieburn HB Land EDM
Exclusive

Tribunal Finding Cruels 1000-Home Melbourne Plan

Clare Burnett
Renewal SA's four-bay aircraft hanger facility in Adelaide's northern suburbs, the DMMF being built by BESIX Watpac.
Other

Adelaide’s $200m Defence Megastructure Moves Ahead

Marisa Wikramanayake
Australia’s RAAF will not be the only air force to benefit from the aircraft modification facility due to complete next …
LATEST
Victorian treasurer Jaclyn Symes' first budget has made infrastructure a winner but left the property sector behind.
Policy

Victoria’s Infrastructure Program Wins Budget Blessing

Marisa Wikramanayake
4 Min
North Melbourne Craigieburn HB Land EDM
Exclusive

Tribunal Finding Cruels 1000-Home Melbourne Plan

Clare Burnett
5 Min
Renewal SA's four-bay aircraft hanger facility in Adelaide's northern suburbs, the DMMF being built by BESIX Watpac.
Other

Adelaide’s $200m Defence Megastructure Moves Ahead

Marisa Wikramanayake
2 Min
Nettleton Tribe Architects' render for Fabcot's next Woolworths distribution and customer fulfillment centre at 144 Wicks Road in Macquarie Park in Sydney.
Industrial

Fabcot Files Plans for Macquarie Park Warehouse

Marisa Wikramanayake
2 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/vsummit-sunshine-private-hospital-australian-unity-risks-patience