Hospitals 14 February 2019

Industry briefing held for the New Footscray Hospital Project

Please note: As of 1 February 2021, the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority (VHHSBA) became the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA).

The Victorian Government is kick starting work to plan, design and build a $1.5 billion new public hospital in Footscray, with more than 350 experts in major infrastructure attending an industry briefing to learn more about the project.

Today’s event is the first major step in securing a partner for the financing, design, construction and maintenance of this new hospital, which will boost access to world-class healthcare in Melbourne’s west.

The new 504-bed Footscray Hospital is proposed to be delivered as a public-private partnership and built opposite to Victoria University’s Footscray Park campus, on the corner of Geelong and Ballarat Roads. It will replace the ageing Footscray Hospital on Gordon Street, which was built in the 1950s.

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With an increase of nearly 200 beds, the new Footscray Hospital will treat up to 15,000 additional patients each year, as well as up to 20,000 extra emergency department admissions. There will also be more outpatient, palliative care and mental health services.

In a further boost, up to 17,000 western suburbs residents are expected to be redirected from inner-city hospitals back to their local community each year, taking pressure off other hospitals.

The project will also be a major win for Melbourne’s west, establishing Footscray as a leading precinct for health and education. It is expected to create up to 2,000 jobs.

Community consultation for the project will get underway next month, feeding into the tender process which is due to start in mid-2019. The hospital is expected to open in 2025.

You can download the Industry Briefing presentation below and stay up to date with project announcements via the dedicated New Footscray Hospital Project page.