A celebration to mark the progress of the new Temora District Hospital building was held on Monday 29 June with an afternoon tea and tours of the new facility. Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD), hospital staff, project stakeholders and Temora Local Health Advisory Committee (TLHAC) gathered to mark the milestone event of all of the eight concrete slabs being laid, completing the footprint of the new building. The $95 million project presents a huge investment in Temora and the future of healthcare in the region. Emma Field, CEO of MLHD said it was exciting to see the redevelopment continuing to take shape as it moves ahead to the next phase of the construction. “This represents another really important step forward in moving our health care, contemporary health care facilities into the next stage so thank you for everyone here for your ongoing support,” Ms Field said. “I know it's probably been somewhat challenging to work through all the developments so thank you to the staff specifically to accommodating all that and we can't wait to see this as we go through so thank you. “Thank you it's such a good community to work with and the staff have been phenomenal the whole way through it's been an absolute joy.” Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke joined the packed room and welcomed the opportunity to see how the project is taking shape and to tour the site along side Ms Field and Temora Shire Council mayor Rick Firman. “Standing on site, hard hats, boots and high-vis on, you really get a sense of just how much work is underway and what this new facility will mean for local patients, staff and families,” Ms Cooke said. “Locals can now clearly see the new hospital beginning to emerge, and there is a real sense of excitement growing about what this project will do to support the community into the future. “The new Temora Hospital will provide vital and modern healthcare facilities that support patients, staff and visitors, while ensuring people can access more services closer to home.” Work on the Redevelopment is being delivered in stages on the current hospital site, allowing health services to remain operational throughout the construction. Once completed, the new hospital will include a new Emergency Department, a flexible inpatient unit, a purpose-built perioperative suite with operating theatre and procedure room, expanded allied health services, pathology collection services, improved parking and site access, and enhanced diagnostic imaging services. Facility manager Wendy Skidmore said that it it's been exciting to watch the development continue to take shape and it has done so quickly. “Today's milestone marks an important stage in the construction and it's really about the future benefits this redevelopment will deliver for our patients, staff and the community,” Ms Skidmore said. Construction company, Richard Crookes Constructions, has been responsible for the delivery of the Cowra Hospital, also in the Cootamundra electorate. Cr Firman is also the chairman of the TLHAC and said that the nurses, allied health staff and all of the staff at the hospital are adapting well to the upheaval, as are the patients and their families. “We are truly privileged that we are to get a new hospital, and I tell you what, when you're actually on the ground the footprint is a lot bigger than what you actually realise on the plan,” Cr Firman said. ‘Everything is being done to a very high standard, so it just builds the excitement up and it seems to be on track for that opening in 2028.” Ongoing construction costs of $28.5 million have been allocated in the 2026-27 NSW Budget meaning that the project is expected to see even more progress in the months ahead.
