Major work underway on $600m Health Translation Hub

Major work is underway on the $600 million UNSW Health Translation Hub, one of the marquee developments within the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct.

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Member for Coogee Dr Marjorie O'Neill MP joined UNSW and Plenary Health consortium partners on site today to mark the official start of major work.

The Health Translation Hub is a key outcome of the collaboration between the NSW Government and UNSW Sydney to strengthen the precinct and improve health outcomes for the community. It will bring together researchers, clinicians, educators, industry partners and public health officials to drive excellence and support the rapid translation of innovative research and education into improved patient care and better community health outcomes.

The facility will be situated adjacent to the new Prince of Wales Hospital Acute Services Building and will include direct connections to UNSW’s Kensington campus, the Sydney Children’s Hospital Stage 1 and Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, enabling seamless integration with UNSW and the four hospitals at Randwick, putting the precinct at the forefront of international health research and education.

Opportunities to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption have been incorporated in every stage of the design. Targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating, it will be the first the building in NSW, and only the second in Australia, to achieve such a rating under the new Green Building Council of Australia scheme.

An expansive 2,500 square metres of north-facing open public space will help to create an engaging and welcoming place for staff, students, patients, industry partners and the public.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the development was an exciting example of the NSW Government partnering with industry to create better health outcomes.

“Medical research is an essential part of providing world class healthcare,” Premier Minns said.

“This project will enable the rapid translation of research and education into improved patient care and better community health outcomes.

“We look forward to seeing this collaboration come to fruition.”

UNSW’s Provost Scientia Professor Vlado Perkovic said the Health Translation Hub will realise the university’s aspiration to improve health by working in close partnership with the leading healthcare institutions within the precinct, building on more than 60 years of partnership and teaching hospital affiliations.

“Healthcare is ripe for transformation,” Prof Perkovic said.

“Through our dynamic collaborations with government, industry and leading academia, we will catalyse and drive breakthrough innovations and address our future healthcare needs.”

The long-term development partnership involves the Plenary Health consortium funding, developing and operating the 35,600-square-metre facility, supported by an initial 20-year commitment from UNSW to occupy 65% of the available space. The remaining space is available to industry, providing a unique opportunity for like-minded partners to co-locate with the university and within the precinct.

The project is being fully funded by Plenary Group and industry superannuation fund-backed property investor ISPT, together with health and education sector superannuation funds HESTA and UniSuper.

Plenary – Australia’s leading investor, developer and manager of property and public infrastructure – is also the development and asset manager for the project, and it has engaged Hansen Yuncken as the design and construction partner and Architectus as lead architect.

Plenary Group Managing Director Sergio Calcarao said the consortium is proud to be partnering with UNSW to deliver such an important project that merges Plenary’s experience in delivering life sciences projects and precincts to help deliver brilliant health research and education outcomes.

“Our experience in delivering on the promise of complex projects here and abroad makes us ideally placed to deliver on the university’s vision,” Mr Calcarao said.

Construction is due to be completed in 2025.