Opposition grows to NSW hospital PPP

The New South Wales government is facing increasing pressure over the future of its last remaining hospital project to be delivered as a PPP.

Campaigners have long been looking to stop the use of the PPP model to redevelop the Shellharbour hospital, and a local MP has now urged his own government to drop the PPP plans due to continued delays in starting procurement.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward has told local press that he is now opposed to the use of PPP on the scheme, having previously backed the model.

He argued that the amount of time taken to make a decision on the hospital had become unacceptable and as a result he is now urging the government to publicly fund the project.

The Shellharbour scheme remains set for a PPP route, after NSW health minister Brad Hazzard cancelled three planned hospital PPPs earlier this year, instead preferring a traditional procurement route.