Cairns Hospital to receive $1 billion upgrade and 30-year masterplan
The state government has unveiled plans for a $1 billion expansion at Cairns Hospital, revealing details of its masterplan for new beds and surgery facilities.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls today said the 150-year-old Cairns Hospital was the largest major referral hospital in Far North Queensland but had outgrown its footprint, announcing a $1 billion expansion.
He also unveiled a masterplan that outlined how the state government would modernise the Cairns Hospital to increase access to health services, enhance patient experience and integrate health, education and research facilities in North Queensland.
Stage one of the Hospital Rescue Plan would include a new health innovation and surgical centre, including at least 40 overnight inpatient beds, 16 day surgery spaces, specialist outpatients department and clinical trial, simulation and collaboration spaces.
Also included in the plan is a Health Management Hub and a new multi-storey staff car park adjacent to the existing Cairns Hospital Facilities offering 950 parking spaces, freeing up parking in the existing multi-storey carpark.
The masterplan also includes a new cyclone-rated rooftop helipad on the existing Block D and the expansion of support services such as medical imaging, pathology, pharmacy, sterilising and kitchen.
Nicholls said the transformation would improve local services with a roadmap for the next 30 years to ensure Far North Queenslanders had access to world-class healthcare close to home.
“The redevelopment of Cairns Hospital will revitalise the CBD and it will put the city on the map as the health and innovation hub for the Far North, helping us to attract and retain more skilled health workers.”
Construction was scheduled to begin on the project in late 2026, following land acquisition completion and approval of the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation, with Stage One expected to be delivered in 2031.
This plan required Queensland Health to acquire the land next to the existing hospital to co-locate the new hospital facilities planned for Stage One.
The Hospital Rescue Plan will also deliver at least 2,600 extra beds across new, expanded and upgraded hospitals across Queensland.
Chief executive of Cairns and Hinterland hospital and health service Leena Singh said the redevelopment would benefit the entire community.
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“This will deliver benefits in healthcare, as well as to the local economy, driving investment and expanding our workforce along with establishing a knowledge economy within the Far North region,” Singh said.
“Modernising our infrastructure, providing the latest simulation technology and unlocking the plethora of data available to us will mean our clinicians can work with universities and other organisations to enhance research to solve some of the unique health challenges we face here in tropical Far North Queensland.”
Members for Far North Queensland Bree James and Terry James said the masterplan recognises that refurbishment alone is not enough to meet future demand and deliver modern health services that the Cairns community needs.
“For regional and remote communities, Cairns Hospital is a lifeline, and this masterplan ensures it can deliver high-quality care for patients across the Far North for decades to come,” the two said.
