Public healthcare at Mater Hospital Springfield is now firmly on the horizon after a $638-million injection that will transform the existing private facility into a 174-bed public hospital by 2026.
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The expansion will lift the total bed count to 233 and introduce an Emergency Department, intensive-care ward, operating theatres and dedicated maternity and paediatric services, including 12 extra paediatric beds.
Mater Health says the project will let residents access complex care closer to home instead of travelling to Ipswich or Brisbane. When complete, it will operate alongside other Mater public hospitals, delivering free, high-quality services within Greater Springfield’s rapidly growing health precinct.
Local demand is strong: more than 55,000 people already call Greater Springfield home, a figure expected to double within two decades, according to Springfield City Group’s 2025 fact sheet.
Site works are already under way, and internal fit-out is scheduled to begin next year. Mater’s project team says the new hospital will be “future-proofed” for further growth, with shell space built in for additional theatres and wards should demand outstrip projections.
Where the Money Comes From
The $638 million package was confirmed last month as part of a wider Queensland plan to add 2,600 public beds across the state.
The funding will cover staffing, equipment and operational costs for the hospital’s first four years, ensuring the facility can open its doors on schedule in 2026. Mater will continue to own and manage the campus, with public-patient services delivered under a service agreement similar to those in place at Mater South Brisbane and Mater Redland.
What Patients Can Expect
- Beds: 174 new public overnight and same-day beds (233 total on campus)
- Emergency care: A fully staffed 24/7 Emergency Department
- Critical care: An eight-bed intensive-care unit
- Surgery: Four theatres plus endoscopy suites, expandable as demand grows
- Women’s & children’s health: Maternity ward, birthing suites, neonatal cots and 12 dedicated paediatric beds
Mater says the layout mirrors contemporary “hospital within a health precinct” design, allowing seamless referrals to adjacent specialists, imaging and university-based research partners.
Construction and commissioning are expected to generate more than 1,000 jobs over the next two years, with ongoing clinical and support roles once the hospital opens.
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Community reaction
Springfield Lakes resident Sarah Khoo, whose daughter was born at Mater Mothers South Brisbane last year, welcomed the move. “Having a full public maternity service five minutes from home will be life-changing for young families like ours,” she said.
Published 24-June-2025