Cook Shire Council met with senior representatives from Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) on Friday 27 February 2026 to receive a formal update on the redevelopment of the Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service (MPHS), a $200 million Queensland Government project that will transform healthcare delivery for the Cooktown region.
While health infrastructure sits firmly within the remit of the Queensland Government and TCHHS rather than local government, access to quality health services has consistently ranked among the top priorities raised by Cook Shire residents. The 2025 Community Scorecard identified Health and Community Services as a key area of concern, and the Community Scorecard Action Plan 2025-2027 identifies advocacy as a direct action in response. This meeting is a reflection of that commitment in practice.
The project itself was also a prominent topic of discussion at Council’s Community Update event held on 19 February 2026, which drew a capacity crowd of residents eager to understand the future of local services. The level of community interest reinforced the need for Council to engage directly with TCHHS and ensure the community is kept informed as the project progresses.
The meeting was attended by Mayor Cr Robyn Holmes and CEO Brian Joiner, alongside senior TCHHS leadership. Council used the opportunity to express the community’s strong desire for transparent, ongoing communication regarding the project’s progress and timelines.
TCHHS provided an overview of the redevelopment scope and current project status. The redevelopment scope includes expanding capacity to a total of up to 24 beds across the facility, including maternity care, isolation, high dependency and short-stay beds, as well as a new Emergency Department with medical imaging, resuscitation and treatment bays, shell space for future CT scanning capability, a new operating theatre and procedure room, and a culturally appropriate main entry and front-of-house. The project will also incorporate a new support services building and a partial refurbishment of the existing hospital.
TCHHS confirmed the project scope and completion timeframe remain unchanged. Design work is currently progressing in accordance with the approved scope, with concept design due to be completed by April 2026, schematic design by August 2026, and detailed design finalised by January 2027. Early works are scheduled to commence in April 2027, with main construction beginning in August 2027. Practical completion is expected in 2029, with the facility operational by 2029-2030, in line with the Queensland Government’s publicly announced dates.
Both parties agreed to formalise their communication and engagement arrangements, including quarterly formal updates between TCHHS and Council’s Chief Executive, immediate notification of any material changes to scope or timeline, a single agreed point of contact within TCHHS, and centralised project updates made available through the TCHHS website.
Cook Shire Council will continue to advocate on behalf of the community on matters of shared importance, even where direct decision-making authority rests with other levels of government. The hospital redevelopment represents one of the most significant investments in Cooktown’s future in recent memory, and Council is committed to ensuring residents remain informed and that community voices continue to be heard throughout the process.
For more information on the Cooktown MPHS Redevelopment, visit the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service website.
Pictured at the meeting above (left to right) are Rex O’Rourke, Chief Executive of TCHHS; Cook Shire Mayor Cr Robyn Holmes; Michael Catt, Executive General Manager TCHHS Northern Sector; Brian Joiner (rear), CEO Cook Shire Council; Natasha Coventry, TCHHS Director Medical Services; Manu John, Executive Director Strategy and Investment; and Vikki Jackson, Director of Nursing TCHHS.