Former quarry to become new hospital, social housing zone
A new hospital and affordable housing will turn Melbourne’s north into a “vibrant city in the suburbs”.
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A new “world class’’ hospital and affordable housing has been fast tracked in Melbourne’s north as part of $194 million of development work approved by the state government.
Developer Riverlee has been given the green light to start building the $133 million Northern Private Hospital, to deliver much-needed medical, surgical and mental health services.
The former Epping quarry will be turned into a medical, residential and commercial precinct with renewal of the 51ha site dubbed “New Epping’’ to cost $2 billion in total.
The fast-tracked works – approved in a bid to boost jobs and the economy as Victoria emerges from coronavirus chaos – also includes construction of 151 affordable and social housing apartments.
The hospital, to be operated by Ramsay Health, will be built adjacent to the busy Northern Hospital which treats more than 88,000 patients on average each year and 120 emergency surgeries per week.
Ramsay Health chief business development officer Alex Belcastro said it would be a key integrated health precinct for Melbourne’s northern growth corridor.
“The health precinct will provide the vital services and infrastructure needed to cater
to the rapid growth of the northern catchment over the next decade and will greatly
lessen the pressure on existing facilities,” she said.
The approved works, including a six, seven and eight storey affordable housing blocks, will see the creation of 720 construction and 220 ongoing jobs.
New Epping will be home to more than 2500 townhouses and apartments, commercial offices and a new seven hectare health precinct.
Planning Minister Richard Wynne said: “This development will create jobs, boost the economy and deliver affordable housing and another world class healthcare facility for the Epping community and beyond.’’
The developer on Monday confirmed several permit applications for the site had been sped up under the government’s Building Victoria Recovery Taskforce program.
Riverlee development director David Lee said “New Epping’’ would become “a vibrant city in the suburbs’’.
“The rehabilitation of the former Epping quarry is one of the largest projects we have undertaken and will be one of the most rewarding due to the sheer impact it will have on the growing region,’’ he said.
More than 3,100 people are forecast to work on the site at full development.
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