Mater Private Hospital Townsville Mercy Centre Expansion

The Mercy Centre expansion at Mater Private Hospital Townsville is the first stage of a broader master plan to expand healthcare services for North Queensland. RCP was engaged in 2017 to manage and program the $52 million development, providing project management from design and procurement through to construction.

The new four-storey clinical building includes digital imaging and X-ray facilities, digital operating theatres, day surgery, upgraded clinical support spaces and a new main hospital entrance. Delivered within a fully operational hospital campus, the project required careful staging around inpatient care, operating theatres, endoscopy and diagnostic services.

Solving problems in a live hospital

RCP managed service relocations, contractor access, temporary works and upgrades to medical gases, data, fire safety and other critical services, allowing hospital operations to continue throughout construction.

When construction displaced staff parking, RCP negotiated temporary parking with a neighbouring TAFE campus, reducing pressure on the hospital and surrounding residential streets.

Keeping delivery moving through flood and COVID-19

The project faced two major external disruptions: the Townsville floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the flood event, RCP worked with Mater and the contractor to revise staging, maintain critical hospital access and services, and keep construction moving where conditions allowed.

COVID-19 brought further workforce restrictions, changing health directives and evolving clinical priorities. RCP coordinated daily planning between the hospital and construction teams and resequenced works around changing hospital activity, helping maintain progress while protecting patient care.