Canberra's new hospital to be 'state-of-the art' — with extra parking

An early artist's impression of the new North Canberra Hospital clinical services building. (Supplied: ACT government)

The ACT government has committed $1.34 billion over seven years to the North Canberra Hospital, taking the project's total cost to around $1.5 billion.

Stage one of the redevelopment includes a seven-storey clinical services building which will house a "state-of-the-art" emergency department, eight operating theatres, more than 200 in-patient beds, and a birth centre.

Main construction works won't start until the 2027-2028 financial year, with stage one expected to be completed in 2031.

A $1.5 billion price tag has been placed on the new North Canberra Hospital, with the redevelopment to include more than 200 inpatient beds, a birth centre and at least 700 additional parking spaces.

Details of the Northside Hospital project — a 2024 ACT Labor election promise to replace the existing hospital at Bruce — have been unveiled as part of the ACT government's latest budget, with another $1.34 billion committed to the redevelopment over the next seven years.

The first stage of the project will include a new seven-storey clinical services building with a "state-of the art" emergency department, 14-bed intensive care unit, and eight operating theatres.

There will also be a birth centre with six birthing suites, a maternity inpatient unit and a special care nursery.

Some existing buildings on the northern side of the precinct, including the childcare centre, will be demolished to make room for the main building.

The new seven-storey clinical services facility will be constructed beside the current main hospital building. (Supplied: ACT government)

Main works on the new building had been slated to start this financial year, but Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said construction was now not expected to begin until 2027-2028.

"Partly that is around some of the environmental assessments and some of the detailed design work that's just taken a bit longer than we had expected," she said.

"Those were required in order to ensure that we could move ... and open a new childcare centre before we demolish the current one, [and] move some of the services that are currently on the northern block.

"That preparatory work, has taken a bit longer than we had hoped."

Rachel Stephen-Smith says the hospital is an "exciting project" for Canberra's entire public hospital system. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)

Ms Stephen-Smith said the staged redevelopment meant not every service in the current main hospital building would be moved into the new stage one b