The first slab of concrete has been poured on the site of the new Shellharbour Hospital, a significant milestone in the construction of the much-needed facility.

The concrete forms the foundation of the hospital’s perioperative unit, which will house new state-of-the art operating theatres.

As the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region's specialist elective surgical centre, the new hospital will help deliver improved health outcomes and enhance patient care for local communities.

The new Shellharbour Hospital is part of the more than $780 million New Shellharbour Hospital and Integrated Services Project, jointly funded by the NSW and Australian governments.

This initial pour used close to 300 cubic metres of concrete, with more than 33,000 cubic metres of concrete expected to be poured throughout the life of the project.

It comes after weeks of site preparation and marks the start of a series of concrete pours that will continue in the months ahead as the new hospital’s seven-storey structure begins to take shape.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said it was exciting to see this construction milestone reached for the new hospital.

"I can’t wait to see the building take shape, which will transform the delivery of healthcare for the Illawarra community.

“The NSW Government is committed to improving health services and infrastructure for regional communities across the state and is proud to invest in projects like this that will make a genuine difference.”

Once complete, the new Shellharbour Hospital will transform access to healthcare for the Shellharbour community, providing a wide range of modern and expanded health services and reducing the need to travel out of the area for a range of treatments.

The new hospital will include an expanded emergency department, enhanced paediatric services, including a new Paediatric Assessment Unit that will function closely with the emergency department, rehabilitation and aged care services, acute medical services, specialised elective surgery and mental health services, renal dialysis and outpatient care services, as well as car parking and improved public transport links.

Designs for the new Shellharbour Hospital also enables the construction of a future rooftop helipad.

“This initial concrete pour represents more than just a construction milestone - it represents our commitment to the future health and wellbeing of our growing region of the Illawarra," said Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson.

“Thank you again to everyone contributing to the delivery of our new Shellharbour Hospital. I look forward to seeing the progress continuing over the coming months.”

Community members can stay up to date on the project via shellharbourdevelopment.health.nsw.gov.au.