Construction is under way on Victoria’s $900-million Melton Hospital project as the Victorian Government moves ahead with health and infrastructure projects in Melbourne growth corridors.
To rise on the 68,000sq m site at Ferris Road, Cobblebank—more than three times the size of the MCG—is a 274-bed facility capable of treating 130,000 patients annually.
The project is expected to create more than 2400 construction jobs and close to 4000 healthcare positions in its first operational year. Completion is scheduled for 2029.
The facility is to be Victoria’s first fully electric hospital, using carbon-neutral power from day one of operations.
It will serve the rapidly expanding communities of Melton, Caroline Springs, Rockbank, Bacchus Marsh and Gisborne, forming part of the planned Cobblebank Metropolitan Activity Centre that also includes plans for the five-storey Cobblebank Community Services Hub on a 6850sq m site at the intersection of Hollingsworth and Stadium drives.
That 8039sq m development comprises flexible office space and community services 400m from Cobblebank Train Station.
Melton Hospital construction works for the next six months will focus on excavation, trenching for services, piling works and concrete foundations.
The facility is planned to bolster the western hospital network, working alongside Sunshine Hospital and the new $1.5-billion Footscray Hospital to reduce wait times across the region.
Melbourne’s western region is experiencing significant growth, with the Melbourne West SA4 forecast to expand from 863,956 people in 2021 to around 1.47 million by 2046, according to forecast.id.
The region is expected to account for 21 per cent of Victoria’s population growth between 2021 and 2046. The most significant development is concentrated in greenfield areas including Rockbank-Mount Cottrell, Cobblebank-Strathtulloh, and Fraser Rise-Plumpton.
According to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne, Melton’s population is projected to increase to more than 400,000 residents by 2050, driving demand for improved infrastructure.
Work has also begun on upgrading Melton Highway infrastructure.
The Melton Highway Infill Duplication Project, to get under way next month, will add lanes and median between Crown Drive and The Regency to accommodate 23,000 daily vehicles.
The $650-million Melton Line Upgrade is also planned to enhance public transport links to the area.
1 of 3
Meanwhile, the $1.1-billion Frankston Hospital redevelopment (pictured above) is nearing completion, with the main entrance and reception area recently revealed. The facility will be rebranded as Peninsula University Hospital early next year.
Peninsula Health chief executive Helen Cooper said the new name reflected strengthened ties with Monash University and represented “the future of healthcare in our region—smarter, more connected and deeply grounded in research and education”.
The Frankston Hospital project, delivered through a public-private partnership by Exemplar Health consortium, includes a multi-storey carpark with 675 additional spaces.
The expanded facility will support an additional 35,000 patients yearly, adding 130 beds and 15 new operating theatres to serve the Mornington Peninsula region.
The collaboration with the uni involves more than 940 students annually, and will include expanded clinical placement programs and new joint professorial roles, generating additional demand for accommodation and commercial services in the area.
