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The new Toowoomba Hospital is harnessing innovative local manufacturing to bring one of Queensland’s largest health infrastructure projects to life faster and more efficiently.
The project is using precast concrete stair cores, as well as structural columns, produced locally by Novus Precast in Toowoomba.
Internally reinforced with steel, these massive concrete elements are fabricated off-site in controlled conditions before being delivered and installed on the hospital build, a process that allows the structure to rise quickly and safely, one level at a time.
Traditionally, these components are poured on-site, requiring more workers and more time. By contrast, the precast method significantly streamlines construction; each piece is precision-made, delivered to site, and simply locks into place like Lego.
To install the heavy concrete elements, a special crawler crane has been brought to the site, joining four other tower cranes already in operation. The crane itself is an impressive feat of engineering - delivered to site in 35 semi-trailer loads and ranking as the third-largest crane in all of Australia.
The partnership with Novus Precast represents a major boost for local manufacturing, showcasing Toowoomba’s growing capability to support world-class infrastructure projects. Many experienced builders have remarked that the scale of innovation and equipment on-site is a once-in-a-career sight to see.
“The fact that local industry can play such a pivotal role in delivering a hospital that will serve its own community is truly special,”
John Holland Project Manager, Dominic Rakei
“It’s a great example of local expertise driving innovation and progress.”
Through a partnership with Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ), local Toowoomba high-school students in the Trade Ready program have also had the chance to experience these cutting-edge techniques firsthand.
During a recent site visit, students observed the installation of precast concrete elements and learned about the diverse range of trades involved in a project of the scale of the new Toowoomba Hospital, from crane operators and riggers to form workers and steel fixers.
The experience provided valuable industry exposure for aspiring tradespeople, highlighting the growing career pathways available across the region’s construction sector.
“For local students starting out in the trades, seeing a project of this scale up close is an incredible learning experience,” said Construction Skills Queensland Regional Industry Coordinator Jenna Perrett.
“It gives them a real sense of what’s possible in their own backyard: world-class construction, cutting-edge techniques, and the chance to be part of something that will benefit their community for generations to come.”
The new Toowoomba Hospital will be delivered as part of a multi-billion-dollar commitment in the 2025-26 Queensland Budget, to help meet growing demand for healthcare services in the Darling Downs region.
More than $18.5 billion is being provided to deliver a suite of new and upgraded hospitals and facilities, including the new Toowoomba Hospital.
Once complete, the new hospital will deliver more overnight beds, expanded emergency and maternity services, and the region’s only public Cardiac Catheter Laboratory, reducing the need for patients to travel outside the region for care.