This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
NORTHWEST is moving to develop its partnership with Aurora Healthcare, acquiring land adjacent to the pair’s The Hills Clinic mental health hospital in Kellyville, NSW.
The existing Aurora-operated facility will be expanded onto the 4,340sqm site, with a circa $50 million development of a two-storey building.
“We are thrilled to acquire such an important development site, adjacent to one of our existing hospitals – The Hills Clinic – and extend our partnership with Aurora Healthcare, who we have worked with to establish this clinic as a highly regarded mental health facility,” said Richard Roos, executive director, portfolio, at NorthWest.
The expansion will deliver more beds, group therapy rooms, a ~120 bay basement carpark and a broader extension to the hospital’s services.
“The Hills Clinic is experiencing significant growth in demand for the critical services it provides, and we’re pleased to continue working with Aurora Healthcare to meet this demand. The provision of high-quality treatment facilities for mental health patients is increasingly critical in our community, and mental health is a materially under-serviced part of the Australian healthcare industry,” added Roos.
NorthWest Healthcare Properties Management, Australia and New Zealand’s largest healthcare real estate owner, manager and developer, acquired the site through its NZX-listed fund, Vital Healthcare Property Trust.
As NorthWest’s hospital operating partner, Aurora Healthcare is Australia’s largest speciality private mental health provider, currently operating 16 facilities, comprising 1,000 beds.
NorthWest has plans to increase its current circa 1,000 beds for mental health patients by 30% through its current $80 million project pipeline either under construction or in planning.
Last year NorthWest announced it would make a $165 million investment into South Australia, with a new healthcare precinct at Playford, while the NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT along with Epworth Healthcare also announced plans for a $600 million innovation, education and healthcare precinct in Geelong, VIC.
“The effects of the pandemic and associated lockdowns have further exacerbated the demand for mental health treatment, and we sought to meet this demand mid-last year by expanding The Hills Clinic to increase the number of beds by 44%, up to 85 in-patient beds,” said Roos.
Likewise, Aurora Healthcare is planning to build on its private mental health inpatient, day patient and outpatient services and facilities capacity.
“Not only will this address unmet demand for accessible private mental health services with purpose-built facilities, it will also provide recruitment opportunities for psychiatrists, allied health, nurses and staff generally to support this growing service. We look forward to working together to deliver critical mental health treatment through this exciting new hospital development,” said Julia Stickland-Bellamy, CEO of Aurora, Australia.
