Why is the Ballarat Base Hospital being redeveloped?
The Ballarat Base Hospital is being redeveloped so it can expand to meet the growing population and health needs of Ballarat and the surrounding areas.
A significant redevelopment and expansion of the hospital is needed to:
- ensure clinical services can meet increasing demand from the growing community
- provide contemporary facilities for patients, staff and visitors.
To prepare for the future, in May 2018 the Victorian Government announced it will invest $461.6 million to redevelop the Ballarat Base Hospital.
A further $80 million was announced in the 2020-21 Victorian State Budget to build a new central energy plant. This brings the total investment to $541.6 million.
What is included in the redevelopment?
The redevelopment of Ballarat Base Hospital will deliver:
- new central energy plant
- new pharmacy and pathology facilities
- new Education and Learning Centre
- multilevel hospital tower
- new emergency department
- new women and children’s hub
- state-of-the-art theatre suite
- an extra 100 inpatient and short stay beds
- new and expanded critical care floor.
The new and expanded critical care floor will include:
- operating theatres
- procedure rooms
- an expanded intensive care unit
- endoscopy suites
- consulting rooms.
The redevelopment will also deliver a new main and emergency department entrance to be accessed via Sturt St.
The new entrance will improve access for patients, families and emergency vehicles, as well as deliver urgently needed short-term carparking and safe drop-off zones. Artist impressions of the new entrance can be viewed in the gallery
To deliver an expanded world-class hospital that meets the future health needs and expectations of the local community, two properties on Sturt Street need to be acquired and ultimately removed.
The local community has told us through surveys and the community consultative committee that the current pain-points are around lack of short-term parking, poor accessibility and wayfinding. We have listened and incorporated these priorities into the designs for the hospital redevelopment. View the community consultation report.
When will construction start?
Construction of the first stage of the Ballarat Base Hospital redevelopment is underway.
Ballarat-based construction company, H. Troon is delivering the first stage of works, including decanting works to relocate some hospital functions to allow for demolition works and the continuity of services throughout construction.
The decanting works started in August 2021, providing a boost to local jobs and the local economy.
As part of these works, decanting of Edward Wilson and Eildon House on Drummond Street is being finalised ahead of their demolition getting underway in April. New contemporary consulting rooms have been built, as well as new staff administration spaces. A new reception desk and patient support zones have been built on the ground floor, as well as a spiritual centre and prayer room.
These works will pave the way for construction of the central energy plant and support services building, which includes a new pharmacy, pathology and Education and Learning Centre, and will get underway in late 2022.
Construction of the multi-level hospital tower, which will include a new emergency department, a women and children’s hub, theatre suite and extra inpatient and short stay beds will commence in 2024. The redevelopment is expected to be completed in 2027.
When will the redevelopment be completed?
The redevelopment of Ballarat Base Hospital is expected to take several years, as is common with large construction projects of this size.
The construction of the central energy plant is expected to be completed in early 2024. The main hospital works are expected to be completed in 2027.
Will a new acute mental health facility be delivered?
Grampians Health and the Department of Health are reviewing the outcomes from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System to identify how mental health services should be delivered into the future.
The recommendations and best practice will be considered in the design of the redevelopment, in particular the new emergency department and women and children’s hub.
The redevelopment also includes allowances for upgrades to the existing acute adult mental health facilities to help meet our immediate needs. We acknowledge the importance of these works and have prioritised them to be delivered over the next 12 months.
Will the redeveloped hospital have enough carparking?
Grampians Health is working with the Victorian Government to deliver additional car spaces in Ballarat’s town centre.
How many jobs will the project create?
The redevelopment is expected to create more than 1,400 construction jobs. Once fully operational, up to 1,000 extra positions will be created at the hospital.
Will residents near the hospital be affected by the redevelopment?
We will work with Grampians Health and the community to minimise disruptions to neighbouring residents and businesses.
We are committed to keeping the community up-to-date as the project progresses. Works will be communicated through the Grampians Health website, this project page, local media and directly to residents where appropriate.
Will hospital services be affected during construction?
Works will be planned and managed to minimise impacts to patients, staff and families at Ballarat Base Hospital.
A number of hospital functions will be relocated to new spaces as part of the redevelopment. Access paths may also change to ensure the safety of staff and patients. These changes will be communicated through the Grampians Health website and directly to staff and patients where appropriate.
Will there be any impact on carparking during construction?
Some stages of the project may impact on traffic flows or carparking availability. These changes will be communicated through the Grampians Health website and directly to staff and patients where appropriate.
Will any properties need to be acquired as part of the redevelopment?
To deliver an expanded world-class hospital that meets the future health needs and expectations of the local community, two properties on Sturt Street need to be acquired and ultimately removed.
The acquisitions will enable the development of an accessible and appropriately sized entrance to the new hospital and emergency department via Sturt Street. This will create space for safe drop-off zones, urgently needed short-term carparking and better accessibility for the community.
The local community has told us through surveys and the community consultative committee – that the current pain-points are around lack of short-term parking, poor accessibility and wayfinding. We have listened and incorporated these priorities into the designs for the hospital redevelopment.
Could the properties planned for acquisition be retained?
A lot of planning has gone into the redevelopment to ensure it delivers an expanded world-class hospital that meets the future health needs and expectations of the Ballarat community. While it is a difficult decision, this acquisition is the only viable option to unlocking the current site.
The acquisitions will enable us to provide a large new emergency department at ground level and address the current issues raised by patients and the community around access, wayfinding and parking in the redevelopment.
The local community will be able to look forward to a bigger and better hospital that’s easy to access and move around, more accessible parking including short-term emergency drop-off parking, and more open green spaces.
What work has been done since the redevelopment was first announced in May 2018?
A major infrastructure project of this size is a complex job that requires considerable planning. Since the initial announcement in May 2018, we have further developed models of care and service planning to ensure the redevelopment will meet the needs of the community for generations to come.
The master plan and feasibility study have been developed to reflect demand for services in the area, and to ensure the delivery minimises impacts to current services and to patients and families visiting the Ballarat Base Hospital.
The project is well into design for the two new buildings delivered as part of the redevelopment with a target of issuing the first tender in mid-2022.
Some smaller packages of works required to free up the site for the redevelopment are in construction and staff will move into these zones over the next few months. The VHBA is committed to working closely with the Ballarat and wider community. In 2020-2021 we ran two online surveys through Engage Victoria and five community consultative committee workshops.
During this consultation we asked the community to tell us what healthcare services and community benefits were important to them.
We also called for their input into the design of the redeveloped hospital’s new family and outdoor spaces – from waiting rooms to gardens. The findings are helping to shape the redevelopment, so it reflects the community it serves.
View the community consultation report.
For further information
To receive updates about the project, sign up to the mailing list.
If you have any questions about the Ballarat Base Hospital redevelopment please email email the project team at bbhrproject@health.vic.gov.au.
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1 Drummond Street North,
Ballarat,
Victoria,
3350,
Australia
2024
CONSTRUCTION OF TOWER BEGINS
