NSW Mater Hospital PPP Inquiry Calls for Public Takeover

A parliamentary inquiry into the Calvary Mater Hospital in New South Wales is set to recommend ending the failed public‑private partnership that runs the facility. The report, to be tabled in the NSW Parliament, urges that ownership and management be transferred to NSW Health and that staff and unions be consulted on possible voluntary administration of the private operator Novacare.

The inquiry, chaired by Amanda Cohn, uncovered allegations of corruption, cover‑ups, falsified mould‑testing records and long‑standing maintenance neglect. Whistleblower Luke Carroll, a former Honeywell project manager, testified that mould testing was deliberately falsified and that the hospital’s infrastructure problems had been known for years. The subcontractor Honeywell and Novacare have denied the claims, blaming the NSW government.