Smoking ceremony paves the way for Westmead's new hospital building
25 September 2017
A traditional Aboriginal Smoking
Ceremony has marked the start of construction of Westmead’s new central
acute services building – a vital part of the $900 million
Westmead
Redevelopment, the state’s biggest health development project.
The Smoking Ceremony, performed by senior Darug man Lex Dadd, was held
today (September 8) on the site of the new
hospital building, which is
due for completion in 2020.
The new central acute services building will link Westmead Hospital and
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and host several adult and
paediatric services including emergency, pharmacy and imaging.
The Smoking Ceremony marked the start of a long-term collaboration
between the Westmead Redevelopment project and the local Aboriginal
community, which will be reflected in artworks and facilities in the new
hospital building.
Western Sydney Local Health District Westmead Redevelopment executive
director Leena Singh said the Smoking Ceremony represented Aboriginal
tradition and healthcare coming together, and reinforced the project’s
commitment to planning health facilities with its diverse communities.
“Our commitment is to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Elders and the community to build a positive and lasting tradition at
Westmead,” she said.
“We are working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
to ensure all people feel safe, welcome and connected when they walk
onto the precinct and into our buildings.
“We are constantly reviewing the way we deliver healthcare and how our
patients and families experience care to ensure we are providing the
best service possible.”
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Aboriginal health management advisor
Lisa Crawford said it was important for Aboriginal people to see their
culture reflected in health facilities.
“Embedding an Aboriginal world view into health facilities through
construction, planning and design provides an opportunity for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people to feel welcomed, valued and
celebrated within the community,” she said.
“I am proud of the Westmead precinct’s ongoing commitment to
collaborating and working in close partnership with Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander staff members, Elders and communities to ensure
the new hospital building is reflective of Aboriginal culture and
history.”
Westmead Redevelopment major contractor
Multiplex will target Aboriginal
employment during construction of the new building, committing five per
cent of the total contract price to Aboriginal workers.
“We feel privileged to be part of the Westmead community and want our
role here to extend beyond the life of the project,” said Multiplex
regional director Daniel Murphy.
“As well as our commitment to offering apprenticeships and traineeships
that exceed government targets, we have partnered with Indigenous
employment networks and other agencies to assist some of the
disadvantaged in our community to gain sustainable employment in
construction.”
The new central acute services building will include two new emergency
departments — one for adults and one for children,
operating/interventional suites with specialised technology and
equipment, a new Cardiac Comprehensive Care Centre, modern patient
bedrooms and education, training and research areas. One and a half
floors of the building will also become a new central home for the
University of Sydney at Westmead as part of its expanded investment in
the precinct.
Other important elements of the redevelopment include infrastructure
upgrades across the precinct and a staged refurbishment of Westmead
Hospital.
Complementing the redevelopment, a $500 million investment from the
University of Sydney will improve education, training and research
facilities and initiatives at Westmead over the next 15 years.
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Source: Multiplex - www.multiplex.global
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