The Decanting and Enabling Programme is crucial to the main hospital development, providing for the transfer of a number of key Mater Hospital departments and facilities to new buildings, to allow for the commencement of the main building programme for the development. Work to date includes the completion of four major projects (G.I. Unit, Substation, Hostel Building, Centre for Nurse Education, and Ophtholmology decant) as well as substantial Aspergillus and other preparatory works.

The Hostel Building

This building was opened in September 2006 and will provide a temporary entrance, cafeteria and main concourse for the Mater Hospital during development, as well as providing on-call accommodation. The building will also house certain administration services and is fully accessible by wheelchair. In the longer term the building will provide hostel accommodation for patients awaiting treatment and their families, and the entrance will be the permanent entrance to the old Mater Hospital, which will be a Day/Ambulatory Care Hospital.


MMUH have commenced utilisation of the main foyer of the new Hostel Building as a discharge lounge to facilitate bed turnover and decrease bed wait times, and allow patients to relax in a pleasant environment whilst awaiting collection by ambulance or relative.

The Centre for Nurse Education

The Centre for Nurse Education building was officially opened in September 2006 and provides facilities for academic programmes and in-service professional training for undergraduate and postgraduate degree students in general and in paediatric nursing. The building also incorporates the restored 52 Eccles Street, which will provide additional office accommodation.

Ophtholmology Department

As part of the ongoing site preparations, the Ophthalmic Out Patients Department was successfully transferred to a new location, above Radiology in January 2007. Entrance to the new department is via a new dedicated 16 person lift and new stairway access from the new link corridor.

G.I. Unit , Electrical Substation and Generator

The G.I. Unit, which had been located in a pre-fab where the new Hostel building now stands, was relocated adjacent to the old Mater building. Construction of a new Electrical Substation and installation of a new Generator was critical for the delivery of power to the Mater during the course of the development and beyond. Both these works are completed.