Changes to hospital precinct roads

Wagga Wagga City Council recently resolved to “close” sections of four streets within Wagga Wagga Health Service (WWHS) campus and transfer the land to NSW Health to manage as part of the hospital campus.

Council endorsed the closure of parts of Doris Roy Lane, Lewis Drive, Yabtree Street and Yathong Street within the hospital precinct.

A report to Council’s 14 April 2020 Ordinary Meeting said the closure of sections of these roads would be made under the provisions of the Roads Act 1993.

NSW Health Infrastructure advise that all roads are proposed to physically remain open and trafficable by vehicles after legal closure, with the exception of Doris Roy Lane, which is to be incorporated into the next stage of car parking works on the WWHS campus.

The legal closure of the roads as proposed removes Council as the roads authority and facilitates transfer of ownership to NSW Health.

NSW Health will manage the roads as part of its internal campus network. This allows NSW Health to make changes such as amending speed limits, introducing traffic calming measures and otherwise managing access to the site and use of the roads without reference to Council as the roads’ authority.

This is consistent with the treatment of internal roads in other large independent facilities.

The $431M redevelopment of the WWHS is in its third and final stage, with construction of the multi-storey Ambulatory Care Building due for completion by the end of this year.

The redevelopment will be followed in 2021 by the construction of additional car parking on the health campus.

This staged process is required to deliver uninterrupted services on the health campus, as some existing services are currently located within the new multi-storey car park footprint.

The WWHS Redevelopment Stage 3 project team can be contacted on email WWHSR3@health.nsw.gov.au