Australian-first centre opens for children with complex medical needs funded by NSW Government, Gina Rinehart AO and donors

MEDIA RELEASE

An Australian-first centre for children living with chronic and complex medical conditions has opened at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, bringing together specialists, supports and treatments for families under one roof.

Thanks to a record $5 million donation from Mrs Gina Rinehart AO through Hancock Prospecting, the Rinehart Kookaburra Centre, on Level 13 of the Wattle Building, has been designed for children who need to see many different specialists, need a range of supports and treatments, and often spend long periods of their childhood in hospital.

The number of children requiring care for chronic and complex medical conditions has risen from around 6,500 to almost 10,000 in just two years — growth of more than 50 per cent. The Centre is designed to support almost these children from across NSW and beyond.

The $40.1 million Centre was delivered through a funding partnership between the NSW Government and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF). Its construction and fit-out was the sole beneficiary project of SCHF’s 2023 Gold Dinner, which raised $19.2 million and guaranteed the Centre’s delivery. This included a landmark $5 million gift from Mrs Gina Rinehart AO through Hancock Prospecting. At the time, it was the largest single pledge in Gold Dinner’s 26-year history.

Mrs Gina Rinehart AO, Executive Chairman Hancock Prospecting said:

“To have a young child enduring multiple illnesses and pain, affecting the child’s life, every day, every night, facing cruelty at times from those around her or him because the child’s speech or walking or general development may suffer, then learning of the plans for the Kookaburra, this was something I wanted to be able to help. 

“I’m hoping the Kookaburra facility is a place special children want to come to, to find kindness, care and support, to help them better cope with the unfair difficulties life has brought them. Seeing your child suffer, perhaps go through multiple operations, or even have to face a life ending complicated illness, many wonderful parents make huge sacrifices so they can better help their daughter or son. I’m hoping coming to Kookaburra helps parents too, who need encouragement to have the strength to achieve extra patience, kindness and understanding, to help their special child every day. 

“My best wishes and thank you, to the doctors, nurses and other staff helping children at Kookaburra, and most of all, best wishes to the special children, this centre is to help.” 

Patricia McKenzie, Chair, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation said:

“I want to acknowledge and sincerely thank Mrs Rinehart for her extraordinary generosity and support, which has helped make the Rinehart Kookaburra Centre possible. This remarkable gift has changed what’s possible for children facing serious health challenges and their loved ones. By bringing vital services together in one place, the Centre will make a real difference to the lives of those who rely on it.”

For families, the change is practical. Instead of navigating appointments across different departments on different days and repeating the same history to each new clinician, a child’s team is in one place. Virtual care technology will also allow more care to happen closer to home for families in regional and rural NSW.

Clinically, the model is expected to improve collaboration between clinicians and enable earlier intervention.

For the children who will be cared for at the Rinehart Kookaburra Centre, the impact is measured in ordinary things: fewer days in hospital, fewer repeated tests, fewer long drives to Westmead, and more time at home, at school, and simply being a kid.

Australia’s most decorated Olympian and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation Ambassador Emma McKeon AM attended today’s opening.

Emma McKeon AM, SCHF Ambassador and Australia’s most decorated Olympian said:

“Meeting children like Maddie reminds you just how strong and resilient sick kids and their families are. The Rinehart Kookaburra Centre will make a real difference by bringing specialised care together in one place and helping families focus on what matters most. I’m proud to support Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation and celebrate this incredible milestone.”

The Centre has been built at a moment when the need has never been greater. As more children live longer with conditions, the demand for coordinated, long-term care continues to grow. The Rinehart Kookaburra Centre is designed to transform how these children and families experience their care.

There is no other centre like it in Australia, and the model has the potential to inform how complex paediatric care is delivered nationally and internationally.

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