BHS looking for new health site in Ballarat West

Ballarat is in line to have another health site built in the west. Find out where here.

Ballarat is on track to have another health site built in the west.

Ballarat is on track to get an additional health site in the west. Find out where here.

Ballarat Health Services has confirmed it is exploring a new site in the Ballarat West Employment Zone after searching for suitable locations over the past few months.

The new health campus will operate alongside the Ballarat Base Hospital and the privately owned St John of God Hospital.

It is in addition to major redevelopment works being undertaken at both Drummond St locations.

Ballarat Health Services chief executive Dale Fraser says BWEZ was strategically located.

Ballarat Health Services chief executive Dale Fraser said the hospital was in the early stages of looking at additional sites to accommodate some services and operations.

“This is part of a strategic plan for the future that would not affect the Base Hospital site but would cater for opportunities to be generated over the next 10-20 years as a result of our growing population and changing health profiles of our community,” he said.

“Additionally, as part of the Base Hospital redevelopment works BHS will need to decant people from the Ballarat Base Hospital site. Our visionary masterplan states that in the future we need a site in which to accommodate some of our services and operations and as such we are investigating options to move some areas of the health services off site.

“BWEZ does present an opportunity for us to do that and is strategically located.”

Ballarat mayor Daniel Moloney.

The City of Ballarat has thrown its support behind the proposal.

Ballarat mayor Daniel Moloney said he wanted the site to be developed into a hospital in the future.

“We had a community consultative forum at the start of this year where participants repeatedly called for a new hospital campus,” Cr Moloney said.

“Ballarat residents want a third major hospital site in Ballarat, to complement Ballarat Base Hospital and St John of God.”

Cr Moloney said Ballarat West was an ideal location.

“The new health campus will be close to the Ballarat Link Road which is strategically important, that links two major highways to rapid health care,” he said.

“Having a third hospital will make it much easier to attract big businesses to set up in Ballarat.

“We are very excited, the City of Ballarat will work hand-in-hand with BHS to get a new hospital site in Ballarat West up and running.”

BHS artist impression of the $541.6 million refurbishment in Drummond St.

It comes as the state government completes a $541.6 million refurbishment of the Ballarat Base Hospital.

Mr Fraser said the works would welcome a new era for healthcare in the city.

“The works will provide a new emergency department, state-of-the-art theatre suite and an extra 100 additional inpatient and short stay beds,” he said.

“A new and expanded critical care floor will also bring together operating theatres, procedure rooms and endoscopy suites – offering the capacity for an additional 4000 surgeries every year.”

The final stage is expected to be completed in 2027.

It will have the capacity to treat at least 18,000 more emergency patients and an extra 14,500 inpatients per year.