Hospitals 18 July 2022

Foundations laid on the new Footscray Hospital

We’ve reached another milestone on the new Footscray Hospital, with the foundations laid and bulk earthworks now complete.

Since construction started last March, more than 360,0000 cubic metres of dirt and rock have been removed and 24,000 trucks have moved through the site. This is to make space for the new hospital’s underground carpark and foundations.

Accessible video transcript

TEXT: It’s been busy on the site of the new Footscray Hospital.

IMAGES: Footage shows an aerial drone shot of the construction site.

TEXT: The workforce is growing with more than 500 construction workers now on the site.

IMAGES: An aerial close-up of construction work as seen from the top of a large crane.

TEXT: Bulk earthworks are now complete with over 360,000 cubic metres of rock and dirt removed.

IMAGES: A digger scoops a mound of dirt on the site and dumps it into a truck.

TEXT: The foundations are now laid paving the way for the structure to start emerging from the ground.

IMAGES: Time lapse footage shows multiple concrete pours happening across the site, followed by an aerial shot moving across the site.

TEXT: Your new Footscray Hospital is set to open in 2025.

IMAGES: The final shot shows the construction site from the air as the drone flies westerly across the site.

IMAGES: The closing slide is the Victorian Health Building Authority logo, the web address vhba.vic.gov.au and the Victorian Government logo.

End of transcript.

What’s next?

We’ll now see more of the hospital’s structure begin to emerge from the ground, with the inpatient unit tower already visible from Geelong Road.

The site’s workforce is growing as activity increases. More than 500 construction workers are helping to bring the hospital to life. In 2023, the onsite workforce is expected to reach 2,000 as the hospital continues to take shape.

About the new Footscray Hospital

The new Footscray Hospital will replace the current hospital on Gordon Street, which was built in the 1950s.

The new hospital will support the increasing demand from Melbourne's western suburbs. It will have more than 500 beds, treat almost 15,000 more patients and allow almost 20,000 extra people to be seen by the emergency department each year. There will also be more outpatient, mental health, palliative care and surgical services.

Construction is underway at the site on the corner of Geelong and Ballarat Roads. The new hospital is set to open in 2025.

Read more about the new Footscray Hospital via our dedicated project page.