The Victorian government has opened expressions of interest for the design, construction and maintenance of a new hospital in Melton, to meet the growing healthcare demands of Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Located at 245–267 Ferris Road, Cobblebank, the project will be funded through a public-private partnership, with $900 million coming from the 2022/23 Victorian Budget. The hospital will be delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with Western Health, which will operate the facility once it is constructed.
The successful consortium will deliver Victoria’s first hospital to be powered entirely by renewable energy, with a minimum of 274 beds, an intensive-care unit, maternity and neonatal services, mental health services, radiology services and outpatient care. The government is seeking candidates from “suitably qualified and experienced consortia,” with shortlisted practices invited to prepare detailed proposals later this year.
The 24-hour facility will have the capacity to treat 130,000 patients a year, the Victorian government said, and almost 60,000 in the emergency department alone. Health minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the hospital will help locals get better care closer to home. “Melton is one of the fastest-growing communities in Australia and that’s why we’re building a world-class hospital and finding the right consortium to get it done,” Thomas said.
Conveniently located close to the Western Freeway, Melton Hospital will service the communities of Caroline Springs, Rockbank, Melton and Bacchus Marsh. The community will be engaged to help shape the project, with a community consultative committee holding its first meeting in February.
Enabling construction works are now underway, with major construction expected to start in 2024 for completion in 2029.
For information on the EOI, visit the Buying for Victoria website. Applications close at 2 pm on 2 March.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
