Allan government reveals designs for expansion of Northern, Austin hospitals

The Victorian government has revealed new designs for world-class upgrades at two of Melbourne’s busiest hospitals after a $1.7bn state budget pledge to upgrade health facilities statewide.

The Victorian government has revealed new designs for upgrades at two of Melbourne’s busiest hospitals, with the artistic renders showing off their increased patient capacity and world-class facilities.

The recent state budget has pledged $1.7bn to build and ­upgrade hospitals and health facilities across Victoria, inclu­ding the Austin and Northern hospitals, as well as Monash Medical Centre.

The funding came as the government announced plans to build “Australia’s largest hospital project” in Arden due to electromagnetic interfere­nce from the rail station below.

A render of the stabilisation project at the Austin Hospital.

A render of the expansion at the Austin Hospital.

A render of the expansion at The Northern Hospital.

A render of the expansion at the Northern Hospital. Picture: Supplied

The Austin Hospital’s ED is being expanded, while the Northern Hospital in Epping will get a new ED and extra beds. These upgrades are expected to support an addi­tional 30,000 emergency patients annually.

With Melbourne’s outer north population expected to double by 2031, these expansions aim to reduce pressure on workers and ­facilities.

Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas said the new hospital infrastructure was “critical” as the health system continues to face ongoing pressures.

“This is a significant investment that will future-proof our hospitals in Melbourne’s north – delivering the best possible health care for locals,” she said.

Construction work on the expansion of Monash Medical Centre is due to start in 2025, and when completed an additional 7500 surgeries can take place each year.

These building projects are expected to collectively create 4500 local construction jobs.