State Government to lead the development of a Business Case to determine time frames, resources and requirements for delivering a Hospital in Yanchep capable of expansion to tertiary level. Inpatient, outpatient and day hospice respite services to be co-located and delivered as part of the development to meet the long-term needs of the community.

Yanchep City is a Strategic Centre under the Planning and Development Act 2005: State Planning Policy 4.2. The Policy outlines the Activity centres defined for WA and was updated and Gazetted July 2023.

Strategic centres are the main regional and sub-regional activity centres. They are multi-purpose centres that provide a diversity of uses and are the main focus for housing and employment growth outside the Capital City. These centres provide the full range of economic and community services necessary for the communities in their catchments and wider region. These centres are expected to service substantial populations, providing health, community and social services, be well-served by public transport and provide opportunities for business agglomeration.

The forecast population growth of the region Butler to Two Rocks to 2046 is:

	Forecast Year
Area	2021	2026	2031	2036	2041	2046
Alkimos	10,526	18,749	30,703	37,988	38,991	39,130
Butler	14,042	14,442	14,414	14,354	14,481	14,687
Eglinton	3,846	8,844	17,084	22,510	24,212	24,159
Jindalee	4,078	6,351	7,749	7,925	7,834	7,741
Two Rocks	3,967	7,305	16,352	27,744	44,680	68,141
Yanchep	11,405	16,456	27,620	35,320	38,484	37,948
TOTAL	49,885	74,173	115,953	147,877	170,723	193,852
Source: Population and household forecasts, 2021 to 2046, prepared by .id (informed decisions), March 2024.

The catchment of the Hospital would also include the southern Wheatbelt population, which would add a much larger base and add to the service mix required for rural health needs.

The opening of the Yanchep Rail line and 3 new stations in 2024 is recognised as a catalyst for new employment opportunities, an attractor for new residents, will support higher density land-use and provide new transport options for the northern growth corridor.

Health needs

The City of Wanneroo has been identified as having a significant proportion of residents with risk factors for heart disease, chronic disease and diabetes, as well as a high rate of utilisation for MBS GP chronic disease services at 40 per 100 residents with hospitalisation rates of at least 1.5 times over the State average. A number of other health risk factors include:

• The second highest rates of smoking in the Perth North Primary Health Network (PHN) at around 13.5% of the population compared to the average of just over 10%.
• The third highest Aboriginal population in the Perth North PHN, with one of the lowest rates for this population accessing an Indigenous Health Check (19.1% compared to 24.1% across the Perth North PHN). Of those that accessed an Indigenous Health Check, the City has the lowest percentage of people (29.8%) receiving follow up services across the whole PHN and significantly lower than the WA average of 46.8%.
• The third highest population over the age of 65 across the Perth North region, with one of the lowest rates (15%) of people accessing a comprehensive health assessment for people aged 75 and over which is available via Medicare.

The demographics related to the population over the age of 65 lends weight to the need for hospice services within the City. The model of community-led hospice services in regional WA (i.e. Busselton and Albany) has proven successful and this model could be replicated in the Yanchep Strategic Centre to provide access to these services on a regional basis.It is important that while services are community-led, funding support is provided by the WA State Government to ensure sustainability of service provision.

The WA Health Clinical Services Framework 2014-2024 proposes consideration of upgrading JHC to a tertiary facility to meet the growth needs of the northern suburbs, however this approach does not consider the significant population growth within the proximity of Yanchep and the need to activate the Yanchep Strategic Centre. Considering the vision for accessible health services outlined in the SHR, planning and commitment to a hospital facility in Yanchep is critical.

It is noted that the WA Health Clinical Services Framework was developed nearly 10 years ago and is due for renewal. A more granular and longer-term breakdown of geographical areas within the North Metropolitan Health Service catchment is needed to identify areas with the greatest annual growth rates and the expected future patterns of community need.

Similarly, for the State Government’s Commissioning Strategy approach to funding community-based services, to successfully service the Yanchep Strategic Centre population catchment, service providers require a Community Hub location with office space available for lease in an appropriate facility. A Community Services Hub will enable delivery of a community and person centred, place-based approach to the delivery of services needed to drive improved community outcomes¹. It will also provide an opportunity for other essential services such as Centrelink and Medicare to be locally accessible and provide an appropriate co-located base for community organisations.

Population growth

The City has a projected population increase of 85.18% between 2024 and 2041, with the majority of this growth (132,211 people, 66%) in the northern corridor (Butler to Two Rocks). The Yanchep Strategic Centre will directly service these residents, local businesses and visitors to this corridor. Many of these areas have a younger family profile with increasing need for obstetric services, family birth centres and paediatric services. As more established areas, Yanchep and Two Rocks both have an ageing population and, along with areas north of the City, are becoming more popular as a retirement destination.

Access to healthcare

The State Government’s Sustainable Health Review (SHR) 2019 report states “Putting people at the centre of care and ensuring people have access to care when they need it is at the heart of the SHR”. Provision of a hospital in Yanchep aligns with SHR recommendations through the delivery of ‘person-centred, equitable, seamless access’ (Strategy 4) by improving medical accessibility to the rapidly growing northern corridor².

An accessible hospital system is one that delivers healthcare that is timely and within a reasonable geographic distance³. Currently for residents of Yanchep, the nearest hospital is 30km away with specialised hospital services even more difficult to access (e.g. cancer care at St Charles Gairdner Hospital and maternal health care at King Edward Memorial Hospital are both almost 60km away – between 60-90 minutes by car).

The City currently has limited health service offerings compared to other local government areas of similar population levels. Existing health services are experiencing pressure in meeting demand and many residents are having to travel out of area by considerable distances to seek the care they need. This is the case across both primary and tertiary health care creating a significant local issue around health care access. An assessment of access to GP services relative to need ranked statistical areas across the State to identify areas with the poorest rates of access⁴. This analysis showed that Yanchep and Two Rocks are in the State’s top 10% of localities with the worst rates of access to GP services and Alkimos and Eglington are in the top 20%.

Time to establish a Tertiary Hospital

Prior to the establishment of a full Tertiary Hospital in Yanchep, services would need to build on existing health care currently available. Critical to building the early stage platform for future services is the ECU Health Centre Yanchep undertaken by Edith Cowan University (ECU) who partnered with State and Federal Government in securing land and existing facilities to provide integrated and multidisciplinary health facilities in the centre of Yanchep, offering a range of health services in a 'one-stop shop'.

Early stage planning for future health care, both hospital and community care, offers an opportunity for a well-designed hospital incorporating new technology and cutting edge service delivery design.

Currently the Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) is responsible for providing public emergency and tertiary level health care to the North West Metropolitan Region. However, with some City of Wanneroo residents located 40 km or 35-50 minutes by car away from JHC and the projected population growth, indications are that this will not remain sustainable.

A Tertiary Hospital in Yanchep along with supporting community care services, will compliment the health care and specialities delivered at JHC, providing a more comprehensive service to the total catchment of both Joondalup and Yanchep Hospitals.

The early partnership with ECU also offers the element of shared training opportunities for health professionals being able to live closer to work but also being able to access a wide range of health training and experience.

The future need for a hospital in Yanchep has been identified through the State Planning Framework and the Yanchep-Two Rocks District Structure Plan, however, there is currently no WA State Government commitment to planning and delivering a new hospital facility in Yanchep.

To date, funding has been committed by both the State and Federal Governments for development of a Yanchep Health Centre, being progressed by Edith Cowan University (ECU) with a total budget of $20.8m of which $10.4m has been committed by the Federal Government and $8.1m from the WA State Government. The intention is that this Centre will provide an integrated and multidisciplinary health centre and tertiary education facility. The focus will be on primary care not tertiary or hospital care.

¹ Aligned with the State Commissioning Strategy 2022, Guiding Principle 1

² WA State Government, 2019, Sustainable Health Review Final Report

³ Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, citing the World Health Organisation, see https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/myhospitals/themes/hospital-access

⁴ WAPHA Perth North Needs Assessment 2022-2024