The Sydney Children’s Hospital Stage 1 and Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre (SCH1/MCCCC) has reached a major milestone, with construction of the new 12-storey building reaching its highest point.
NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park, Federal Minister for Health Mark Butler, Member for Coogee Dr Marjorie O’Neill and Federal Member for Kingsford Smith Matt Thistlethwaite joined project partner and donor representatives on the Randwick Campus Redevelopment site for a traditional ‘topping out’ ceremony to commemorate the milestone.
Honouring a long-held construction tradition, a native Water Gum tree was lifted onto the roof of the new building, and will feature in future landscaping on the site.
The SCH1/MCCCC project combines enhanced clinical, research and educational facilities, and will include a new neurosciences centre to support patients like Austin.
In September 2022, Austin suffered a spontaneous spinal cord stroke while running, causing a rapid onset of paraplegia. The now 15-year-old underwent almost two months of medical treatment and occupational and physical therapy, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which helped him reach an incredible milestone—being able to walk again.
Learn more about Austin and his story.
The SCH1/MCCCC is on track for completion in late 2025 and will include:
The new home of Children’s Cancer Institute, the building will also deliver a state-of-the-art environment, with the facilities to house more than 900 dedicated cancer researchers, scientists, and clinicians, working side-by-side for the first time within the Minderoo Children's Comprehensive Cancer Centre (MCCCC), with the single goal of improving care and outcomes for children with cancer.
Professor Michelle Haber, Executive Director of Children’s Cancer Institute, emphasised the MCCCC will meet the “gold standard” international model of comprehensive cancer centres, with the influence to be felt globally.
We are excited to celebrate this significant milestone. The MCCCC will be the first in Australia entirely focused on improving the outcomes for children with cancer by combining globally leading research with exceptional clinical care. Through this seamless integration, the MCCCC will drive research excellence and ensure discoveries swiftly translate from the lab bench to the bedside, locally, nationally and internationally.
The NSW and Federal Governments have partnered with Children’s Cancer Institute, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network including the Kids Cancer Centre, and UNSW Sydney to plan and deliver Australia’s first Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre within the new children’s hospital and university buildings on site. Philanthropic contributions have also been provided from Children’s Cancer Institute, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation and Minderoo Foundation.
The project is being delivered by Health Infrastructure in partnership with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Children’s Cancer Institute and UNSW Sydney, with John Holland as the principal contractor. Learn more about which services and facilities will call the new building home on completion.
Published May 2024