Facebook icon
Hospitals 07 August 2023

New Melton Hospital Community Consultation Report

The Victorian Government has committed more than $900 million to deliver a new Melton Hospital by 2029.

The brand-new hospital will support the growing and diverse communities of Caroline Springs, Rockbank, Melton and Bacchus Marsh. It will ensure the people of Melbourne's west get the care they need, closer to home.

The Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA), together with Western Health, is committed to providing community and stakeholders with meaningful opportunities to provide input into this significant project for the outer west.

Since May 2022, the project team has sought community feedback via:

  • surveys
  • information sessions
  • workshops
  • the New Melton Hospital Community Consultative Committee (CCC).

This online adaptation of the report provides a summary of what we’ve heard, including ideas, visions and priorities for the new Melton Hospital.

The full report will be provided to shortlisted bidders preparing proposals to design, construct, finance and maintain the hospital. Through understanding the needs and aspirations of local communities, the successful consortium will have the best opportunity to design and build a hospital that best serves the outer west.

You can also download the report (PDF).

Text: The community is having their say on the new Melton Hospital.

IMAGES: an aerial view of an artist impression of the new hospital

Text: we’ve heard over 1000 views and priorities

IMAGES: a group of community members discussing ideas around a table; Steve McGhie, Member for Melton, Community Consultation Committee Chair, standing next to a board, discussing ideas

Text: Through CCC, community surveys and workshops with key community groups

IMAGES: a montage of groups of community members discussing ideas around tables

Voiceover: Being part of the community, we all know what we want and what we need in Melton. We want a safe space where everybody feels welcomed

IMAGES: Brianna Mitchell, Community representative, is interviewed

Voiceover: There's people that have been here for quite a long time and they felt like they were forgotten. For them to be able to see that it's finally happening is really important

IMAGES: Carmen Martin Issifu, Community representative, is interviewed; aerial footage of Melton

Voiceover: The people that thought that it was never, ever going to happen will start to see things rise out of the ground and it'll be unbelievable for the Melton township

IMAGES: aerial footage of Melton; Steve McGhie, Member for Melton, Community Consultation Committee Chair, is interviewed; camera cuts to Steve sharing ideas with committee members around a table

Voiceover: The degree of passion from the community has been really exciting, and every time I've come to one of these sessions, I come away energised

IMAGES: Diana Shmulburd, Project Director, Victorian Health Building Authority, is interviewed; camera cuts to Steve sharing ideas with the committee around a table; committee members discuss ideas standing in front of a projector screen

Voiceover: I'm a proud Gomeroi man, I want to sort of tap into the Aboriginal side of things in the Melton Hospital. When you first walk into hospital, the anxiety levels are up. Culturally wise to have a nice room to actually come and sit in and kick back and chill

IMAGES: Andrew McDermott, community representative, is interviewed; camera cuts to Andrew discussing ideas with other committee members around a table

Voiceover: We've discussed prayer rooms and having sacred spaces for reflection or for prayer, having a safe space to be able to do our prayers and for other people to use the space as well

IMAGES: Community representatives sitting together and discussing ideas; Carmen Martin Issifu, community representative, is interviewed; a montage of community representatives discussing ideas

Voiceover: We want it to be eco-friendly. We talked about a lot of green spaces. Native plants and all that sort of stuff around the hospital. Having signage in different languages. A way for you to wait, but not feel like you're in a queue

IMAGES: Brianna Mitchell, community representative, is interviewed; footage showing post-it notes with community ideas

Voiceover: We've had three tables full of people and most of the ideas were similar. Everyone's sort of on the same page. I do feel like we're making a big contribution. Having input from people that have lived experience in the area. The community has been both briefed and has contributed to various conversations about landscaping, design, what they want to see in their hospitals and how they want to interact with it. Western Health has been actively involved in that process, and it's been fascinating to hear their views. I had a little bit of input whether that input's good or bad, I don't know so we'll have to wait and see. I feel like I am leaving a legacy, and I hope that one day I'll be able to say to my children or grandchildren, you know, I was part of this and this is for all the generations to come.

IMAGES: montage of the community representatives discussing ideas, in between interview clips and aerial footage of Melton

Text: Read the full report at vhba.vic.gov.au

IMAGE: A screen displays an ‘in partnership with Western Health’ logo. A sliding transition screen then displays the Victorian Health Building Authority and Victoria State Government logos and the web address vhba.vic.gov.au

End of transcript.

In this report

1. Introduction

Learn about the project background and read a special message from the New Melton Community Consultative Committee.

2. Community engagement

Learn about the project’s key engagement objectives, scope, and the formation of the Community Consultative Committee and Communications and Engagement Working Group.

3. How we engaged

Find out how we sought meaningful input, including through community information sessions, working sessions, workshops and surveys.

4. What we heard

See the timeline of our community engagement and learn what we uncovered about community ideas and priorities.

5. What we’re doing next

Review our next steps and the conclusions of the report.

  

Up next >

1. Introduction

Learn about the project background and hear from the community consultative committee


 

Want to print this report?

" "

The New Melton Hospital community consultation report is also available to view or print as a PDF.
 

Download report as a PDF

Subscribe and stay up-to-date

Illustration of community members engaging with a VHBA project

Keep up with our announcements on health, mental health and aged care projects by signing up to our online newsletters.
 

Subscribe to enews

Related content

Artist impression of an aerial view of the exterior of the new Melton Hospital, seen in the evening with lighting turned on. Green space surrounds the buildings

24 June 2022

New Melton Hospital

The Victorian Government has committed more than $900 million to deliver a new Melton Hospital.
Project
Aerial artist impression shows hospital building with solar panels and green spaces

28 June 2023

Consortia shortlisted to deliver new Melton Hospital

Two consortia, including construction companies, sponsors, and facilities management providers have been shortlisted to deliver the new Melton Hospital.
News
Aerial artist impression shows hospital building among green spaces

15 September 2022

Building a new hospital for Melton

The Victorian Government has committed more than $900 million to deliver a new Melton Hospital in Cobblebank.
Fact sheet
Members of the Melton Hospital Community Consultative Committee sitting around a table talking

24 March 2023

New Melton Hospital Community Consultative Committee having their say

The community consultative committee plays a vital role in making sure the community has a say in the development of the new Melton Hospital.
News
" "

26 October 2022

Video story: Community helps shape new Melton Hospital

Take a look at what the new Melton Hospital will mean for those who live and work in and around Melton.
Video
Last updated: 07 August 2023