BUNDABERG MEDICAL CENTRE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

New medical centre proposed

Mike Derry | 19th October 2010

BUNDABERG could be home to a new $8 million medical centre if a
development company’s plan gains Bundaberg Regional Council approval. The
centre, proposed by developer Honeyford, would be built across the road from the Bundaberg Hospital.


Honeyford director Anthony McPhee, said the building could also include extras such as a shop, cafe or restaurant.

“We’re trying to make it quite an impressive building,” Mr McPhee said.

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 He said according to the regulation for the area, 80% of the development needed to be aimed at medical purposes.

He said the company already had a lot of interest from potential tenants for the building, with heads of agreement and leases already being discussed.

Tenants who had shown interest so far included a pathology company, a GP and a local pharmacy.

Three existing residential buildings on the site will be removed to make way for the development.

The building will be stage one of a planned two-stage development.

The second stage will be built on another three blocks of land facing on to Woongarra Street.

Mr McPhee said the second stage would probably be more of a mixed business site.

“We’re already talking to a large oncology company who are very interested in it,” he said.

Mr McPhee said the company was hoping to start construction of stage one as early as April next year.

“The council is really keen to see the area developed, so it’s progressing really well,” he said.

Mr McPhee said the cost of building the new development would be about $4 million for stage one, including the cost of the land.

Stage two would cost about the same.

“We’re hoping that in a best-case scenario, stage two goes up shortly after stage one,” he said.

Mr McPhee said a sign would be erected on the site this week calling for public submissions on the development before the application before council goes to the next stage.