Eleven-year-old Charlie Jancso from Wentworth Falls has been named winner of the "Budding Builder" competition after constructing an impressive replica of the Nepean Hospital buildings.

Member for Penrith, Karen McKeown visited the site of the $1 billion Nepean Hospital Redevelopment 
today to announce the winner and meet the finalists of the competition.

The Budding Builder Competition was launched to celebrate construction of Stage 2 of the 
redevelopment, with the goal of inspiring creativity and engaging young residents in the ongoing 
transformation of healthcare in their community.

Primary school-aged students from Penrith, Kingswood, and the Blue Mountains were invited to 
participate in the competition, creating models of the new hospital using arts and craft materials or 
building blocks. Three finalists were selected and displayed at Nepean Hospital, where the community 
and hospital staff voted for their favourite. Voting was exceptionally close, with only a handful of 
votes separating each finalist.

All three finalists were invited to the awards ceremony which included a tour of the Stage 2 
construction site.

The Budding Builder competition highlighted the talent and creativity of future builders in the local 
community, with Charlie Jancso’s model capturing the likeness and structure of the new buildings at 
Nepean Hospital.

The talented ‘Budding Builder’ finalists were Amelia Au-Mahony, aged 5 and Cooper Berry, aged 9.
Work on the redevelopment is progressing at the site, with the first concrete recently poured to set 
the foundations for the building’s concrete and steel structure. A total of 60 concrete pours will create 
eight floor slabs for the building.

When complete, the new 7-storey building will feature an Intensive Care Unit, Medical Imaging and 
Nuclear Medicine services, in-centre Renal Dialysis, paediatric facilities, additional inpatient beds, and 
a welcoming new front of house and reception area.

Construction of Stage 2 of the Nepean Redevelopment is expected to be completed in 2026.

For more information about the Nepean Hospital Redevelopment, visit 
http://www.nepeanredevelopment.health.nsw.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park: 
“The Nepean Redevelopment is already having a positive impact for healthcare in the region with the 
services delivered in the Stage One tower including the new and expanded Emergency Department, 
operating theatres, and birthing suites. These will be complemented by services offered in the Stage 
2 Tower, with the buildings seamlessly connected when complete.”

“The NSW Government is investing more than $1 billion in the Nepean Redevelopment to transform 
the delivery of healthcare in Western Sydney.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Penrith, Karen McKeown

“This competition has shown us the imagination and passion our young community members have for 
the future of healthcare in our region. Charlie’s model not only demonstrates his creativity but also 
reflects the pride our young people feel in seeing the Nepean Hospital Redevelopment take shape.”

“We were thrilled by the overwhelming response to this competition, receiving nearly 1,000 votes from 
health staff and the community. It’s fantastic to see our youngest residents engaging with the project, 
which will benefit generations to come.”