New helipad cleared at John Hunter Hospital expansion

31 March 2026

newy.com.au – A new rooftop helipad on John Hunter Hospital’s acute services building has been given the green light after successful day and night testing, clearing the way for it to begin operating when the new hospital tower opens to patients later this year.

The helipad sits 30 metres above the ground and includes two landing pads and a dedicated lift linking directly to critical care services, including the emergency department and intensive care unit. It has been built on top of the new seven-storey acute services building as part of the $835 million John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct expansion.

The new acute services building is designed to strengthen John Hunter Hospital’s role as a tertiary referral centre for the Hunter and northern NSW. It will include a new emergency department to meet projected demand of more than 95,000 presentations a year, 22 operating theatres, nine interventional suites, birthing suites, inpatient maternity, neonatal intensive care and special care units, as well as more than 900 additional car parking spaces.

The rooftop helipad was constructed using about 50 tonnes and more than 50 truckloads of concrete, with the structure measuring 60 metres long and 26 metres wide. The broader redevelopment is also set to deliver 60 per cent more intensive care unit capacity and almost 50 per cent more operating theatres.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said the testing milestone brought the project a step closer to opening. “The new helipad is a crucial piece of infrastructure that will ensure critically ill patients have fast access to lifesaving care,” he said.

NSW Ambulance Interim Chief Executive Clare Beech said the dual landing pads would strengthen emergency care at the region’s major trauma centre. “Having two helipads at the region’s major trauma centre is incredibly valuable. It strengthens our ability to bring critically unwell or injured patients directly into the hospital as quickly and safely as possible, when every minute matters.”

Work is continuing on the interior fit-out and landscaping, with final construction on the new building expected to be completed in mid-2026 before an operational commissioning period ahead of patients moving in.