State government confident new $900m Melton Hospital won’t be too small

The state government has shut down concerns a new $900m hospital in Melbourne’s booming west will not be big enough to meet the area’s growing population.

An artist's impression of the new $900m Melton Hospital scheduled to open in 2029. Picture: Supplied

The state government has shut down concerns its new $900m hospital in Melbourne’s western suburbs will be too small and require immediate renovations to meet the region’s booming population.

It comes as the government’s tender documents released in early 2023 for the new Melton Hospital — scheduled to open in 2029 — revealed it may need to double the amount of beds by 2036 to cater for significant population growth.

The hospital will have at least 274 beds when it opens, despite concerns it will need to add nearly 300 more beds within seven years of opening.

Melton is tipped to add more than 168,000 people within the next decade, with its population projected to approach 350,000 by 2036 according to the Victoria in Future report.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said an expansion within seven years of opening the hospital was not on the cards.

“That’s not the advice we have at the moment,” she said, when asked about whether the hospital would require an immediate renovation.

“Extensive planning goes into the scope of new hospital builds to ensure we can meet needs of communities now and well into the future, it’s part and parcel in the way we plan new hospital builds”.

The new $900m Melton Hospital is scheduled to open in 2029. Picture: Supplied

Premier Jacinta Allan, who visited the site on Wednesday, said she “absolutely” anticipated the $900m budget set for the hospital would be able to deliver the “scope of the project”.

Ms Allan was asked whether workers on the hospital construction site would fall under the trouble-plagued CFMEU EBA.

“We have asked for a review of the enterprise bargaining agreement in this state, so the answer to that question will lie in the next steps for those actions,” she said.

The new hospital is expected to treat 130,000 people per year, with the new emergency department able to treat 60,000 patients.

It will also feature an intensive care unit, mental health services and create more than 3000 jobs.

Labor Member for Melton Steve McGhie described the project as the “biggest infrastructure build in the history of the Melton area”.

Construction will commence later this year.