The new $582 million Tweed Valley Hospital has reached its next milestone following a planning decision which will allow development to take place on the Cudgen site.
Minister for Planning, Anthony Roberts, said the decision will make way for the consideration of the development application.
“Health Infrastructure have worked exhaustively to identify the best possible site for the new hospital which is why it is important that this parcel of land is zoned appropriately for the development,” Mr Roberts said.
“The Department of Planning has carefully considered the feasibility of rezoning the site for a health services facility which allows for the development to be considered.”
“The preferred location, on land west of Kingscliff opposite the TAFE, was identified after a comprehensive search of more than 50 sites. The site selection process is summarised in the Site Selection Report, published on the Tweed Valley Hospital Development’s website.”
“The Opposition want to build the hospital in Kings Forest, flood prone land and right in the middle of a Koala corridor. Tweed’s Team Koala group say this option would be ‘a disaster for the Tweed’s remaining koalas’.
“Additional due diligence investigations would be required on the proposed Kings Forest Development site before a detailed estimate of the impact could be arrived at. This would include consideration of the requirements of the relevant Commonwealth, planning and environmental authorities.”
“The planning assessment process is necessarily thorough, detailed and rigorous, and a new site would mean a clean slate, back to square one,” he said.
“Under the NSW Liberals and Nationals there is a clear timeline to deliver this life saving infrastructure, while the Labor party are peddling uncertainty to appease political donors,” Mr Roberts concluded.