Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital now has an operational temporary helicopter landing site (HLS) on the rooftop of its staff and visitor car park, delivered by CPB Contractors as part of the RPA Hospital Redevelopment.
The project is being delivered by Health Infrastructure on behalf of the NSW Government.
The temporary site opened following a series of test flights in late 2024, says CPB Contractors Project Manager Steve Garzo.
“RPA’s existing HLS has been decommissioned to allow for the arrival of tower cranes, which will enable the construction of a new 15-storey tower on the hospital's east campus.
“I’m proud of how the CPB Contractors team has worked with our client to minimise disruption with a focus on safety for staff, patients and the community.”
Working closely with Health Infrastructure and Sydney Local Health District, CPB Contractors’ planning phase for the temporary solution began in late 2022 and involved hospital, patient and community stakeholder consultation.
An RPA spokesperson says the successful opening of the temporary HLS collaboration and coordination with many stakeholders, including NSW Ambulance, Newborn & Paediatric Emergency Transport Service and Sydney Local Health District staff.
“Completion of this stage of work is a really exciting development that will allow the next stage of work to proceed on the redevelopment that will transform RPA Hospital and support the world-leading services it provides,” says the spokesperson.
CPB Contractors’ construction of the temporary HLS took approximately 12 months. It included the addition of two new lifts and dedicated ambulance bays to enable the smooth transport of patients and retrieval teams from the helipad to RPA. The temporary HLS will be used for approximately two years before a new permanent helipad is opened on top of the new 15-storey tower, which is under construction.
“Once the temporary helipad is no longer needed, our team will make the facilities we’ve added – lifts and bays – available for public use, enhancing accessibility in the car park,” says Steve.
CPB Contractors’ delivery of the RPA project includes the construction of a new 15-storey acute hospital building adjoining the existing RPA Hospital, vertical and horizontal expansion of the existing structure, major refurbishment to existing spaces across the campus including the ambulance parking area, re-alignment of Lambie Dew Drive Road and diversion of existing inground services.