Indigenous construction company awarded enabling works contract for RPA redevelopment.

The $750 million redevelopment of RPA has reached another milestone, with indigenous construction company Barpa Construction Services being named as the enabling works contractor for the project.

Barpa is a majority indigenous owned construction company that has extensive experience in delivering complex infrastructure, including in the health sector, across the country.

Sydney Local Health District’s Acting Chief Executive Lou-Anne Blunden was joined by the Chair of the District’s Board John Ajaka, Board member Rob Furolo, the District’s Executive Director of Operations Dr Genevieve Wallace, RPA’s General Manager Kiel Harvey, the District’s Director of Aboriginal Health George Long, Health Infrastructure’s Senior Project Director Steve Hall, and Barpa’s Operations Manager Ben Hardy for the announcement.

“Barpa is a proud and dynamic Indigenous construction company, committed to making a difference for Australia’s First Peoples. Sydney Local Health District is committed to increasing employment opportunities for Aboriginal people,” Ms Blunden said.

“We are committed to closing the gap and our District aims to have the healthiest Aboriginal population in Australia. We are very pleased to be partnering with Barpa and Health Infrastructure on this project,” she said.

Following the announcement, Uncle Brendan Kerin from the NSW Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council led a traditional smoking ceremony which prepares the land as a safe and welcoming place for all those who are working on it.

This month, Barpa will begin the first stage of the enabling works at RPA which will prepare the site ahead of the start of construction of a new hospital building and the refurbishment of existing hospital spaces. 

“We pride ourselves on being a business which is actively supportive of First Nations Peoples. We’re looking forward to delivering a fantastic project for everyone that’s involved and hope that the enabling goes very well for the next big stage of the project,” Ben Hardy, Barpa’s Operations Manager, said.  

The enabling works include road works, landscaping, and relocation of hospital services to prepare the site for construction.

To ensure that there is minimal impact to hospital operations, and pedestrian access and traffic, the enabling works for the RPA redevelopment will be completed in stages.

The enabling works will take up to 10 months to complete.

“This is a significant milestone for the $750 million redevelopment. The enabling work will help us get on with the main works in due course. I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of everyone involved,” Steve Hall, a Senior Project Director at Health Infrastructure, said.

The start of the enabling works follows the release of concept designs for the redevelopment which showcased the new hospital building and surrounding improved amenities.

The project team is focusing on the schematic design of the new building, working with hospital staff, patient representatives and community stakeholders.

The RPA redevelopment plans are expected to be lodged with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment via a State Significant Development Application by the end of the year.

Delivered by Health Infrastructure, in partnership with the District, the RPA redevelopment will deliver the biggest transformation in the hospital’s 140- year history of caring for the community.

“One can appreciate an investment of this nature, the great impact it will have for our patients and our staff,” John Ajaka, the Chair of the District’s Board, said.

The redevelopment will support the world-leading services RPA provides for the 740,000 people who live in the District and the more than one million people who come into the District each day to work, study and visit.

For more information on the enabling works and the RPA Hospital redevelopment, visit the RPA Redevelopment website.