Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative Medical and Regional Health Hub

5 Market Street, Ballarat Central, Victoria, 3350, Australia

The Victorian Government contributed $6 million to deliver the new Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative Medical and Regional Health Hub, improving access to high quality medical, health and community services in one convenient location.

The purpose-built facility was designed to create a culturally welcoming environment and provide a range of services for indigenous and non-indigenous people in Victoria’s greater western region.

This $8.5 million project was part funded under the Victorian Government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund ($6M). This program is dedicated to building new, and updating existing, health facilities in regional and rural Victoria - ensuring everyone can access the quality care they need, no matter where they live.

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Scope

The project involved the construction and fit-out of a new, purpose-built facility to house the medical clinic and district health hub.

More than 1500 m2 of additional floor space was provided to include:

four general practice rooms
five specialist consultant rooms
two medical procedure rooms
four alcohol and other drug consulting rooms
four mental health consulting rooms
new reception and cultural meeting place
additional offices, staff amenities and storage spaces.

The existing main office was also refurbished as part of this project, and outdoor areas were landscaped to connect the existing building with the new facility.

Benefits

The Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative Medical and Regional Health Hub project aimed to achieve the following benefits:

Space to grow

This new facility delivers 1500 m2 of extra floor space, giving the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative the room it needs to dramatically expand its operations and deliver tailored programs to more people all under the one roof.

Delivering better health outcomes through co-location

The purpose-built hub co-locates primary health and community health services and provides dedicated spaces for specialist services, including mental health and alcohol and other drug counselling.

Co-location also encourages more people to access essential services while enabling health professionals to work collaboratively to deliver coordinated and holistic care plans via cross-referrals.

Culturally sensitive design

The building design and layout reflects the needs and input from community members and staff. The result is a space which is culturally sensitive and promotes understanding, respect and celebration of indigenous culture while enabling efficient service delivery.

One service

The medical and regional health hub is open to all, bringing together indigenous and non-indigenous communities.

Creating local jobs

During the construction of this facility, 150 jobs were created.

Partners

This project was delivered by the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority in partnership with:

Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative
Morton Dunn (architect)
SJ Weir (builder).

Please note: As of 1 February 2021, the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority (VHHSBA) became the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA).