Herston Quarter Underway with $350m Specialist Centre Approved for Development

A pivotal component of Brisbane’s Herston Quarter health precinct is a step closer following the approval of a $347 million specialist rehabilitation care centre.

The specialist rehabilitation and ambulatory care centre will be built in a partnership between the Queensland government and preferred tenderers Australian Unity as part of the $1.1 billion Herston Quarter redevelopment.

The centre, which is a key inclusion of the inner-north Herston precinct, will be operated by Metro North Hospital and Health Service and will provide specialised care for long-stay acute rehabilitation patients and will showcase Brisbane as a world-class health care, research and knowledge destination.

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In announcing the approval, Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said the facility was a priority in the redevelopment of the Herston health precinct.

“Development of the $1.1 billion Herston Quarter facility is expected to support about 700 jobs annually over the life of the project,” Dick said.

"The specialist rehabilitation care centre is the first significant construction to commence which is an important reassurance to the community that this site will continue to provide public health services into the future.”

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The Herston Quarter project development scheme was approved by the Queensland government in December.

Herston Quarter will also include a private hospital, aged-care and retirement living, student and residential accommodation, public and private childcare facilities, retail and commercial facilities and public realm works designed to improve connectivity between Herston Quarter and the wider Herston Health Precinct.

Health insurer Australian Unity was awarded the tender to develop the site in August 2016 and in February 2017, it was appointed master developer. The masterplanning has been completed by Hassell who will continue to work on the architecture, urban design, landscape architecture and interior design of Herston Quarter.

Construction of the specialist centre is anticipated to commence in March and is expected to be completed by end 2020.