Hospitals 23 September 2025

Inspiring the next gen: Werribee Mercy Hospital ED expansion

Local students considering a career in construction visited the Werribee Mercy Hospital emergency department construction site to see firsthand what it takes to build a hospital.

In February 2025, there were around 3,770,800 people employed in Victoria, with the construction sector accounting for more than 357,000 of these jobs.

It’s the third-largest industry for employment in Victoria and is continuing to grow with employment within the sector rising by three per cent over the last 12 months.

Inspiring the next generation to consider a career in construction is something we all have a role in.

Inspiring the next generation – Werribee Mercy Hospital Emergency Department expansion

Accessible transcript

[Images: Nyah Burrell is talking in front of a row of safety equipment on the construction site]

[Text on screen: Nyah Burrell, Graduate Engineer, BESIX Watpac]

Nyah Burrell: So here today, we've had the kids from, uh, the Grange School, which is a local school, about five minutes up the road in Werribee. Kids who are interested in science and engineering get a firsthand experience being on a construction site,

[Images: A group of school students are watching as an engineer points out a design aspect of the construction]

[Text on screen: Leon, student]

[Images: Leon is talking to camera in front of a row of protective gear on site]

Leon: Seeing the different layers of the structure, the services went to the building. It helped me understand the complexities of construction.

[Images: the student group walk through the shell of a facility section under construction, talking with an engineer]

[Text on screen: Janisha, student]

Janisha: Um, it was really cool seeing the process of getting like a hospital built, seeing how much care and how much effort people put into making these buildings. It was really, really awesome.

[Text on screen: Raquel Di Francesco, Graduate Engineer, BESIX Watpac]

Raquel: I think construction is a very exciting industry to be in, and there's lots of avenues to go down. You get to meet so many amazing people that are super inspiring and super knowledgeable in their field, and after all, you are developing a building that will help the community flourish and meet the needs of the neighbourhood.

[Images: Engineers and the student group scale stairs to a higher floor level of the construction]

[Images: Engineers and the student group pose for a group photograph in front of a facility under construction]

[Images: A partnership screen with a white background displays the text ‘In partnership with’ and the ‘Mercy Health’ logo]

[Images: A sliding transition screen then displays the Victorian Health Building Authority and Victoria State Government logos and the url vhba.vic.gov.au]

End of transcript.

The future of health infrastructure

Earlier this month, senior students considering a career in construction from the Grange P–12 College in Hoppers Crossing visited the Werribee Mercy Hospital Emergency Department construction site to see firsthand what it takes to build a hospital.

Hosted by construction partner BESIX Watpac, the day began with a warm introduction before students engaged in a dynamic panel discussion.

The BESIX Watpac team shared personal insights and highlighted the diverse career pathways available in the construction industry – from engineering and project management to site operations and design.

The session was real, relatable, and full of heart – a genuine conversation about the opportunities, challenges, and rewards of working in the construction industry. The students brought curiosity and energy, and the BESIX Watpac team shared stories, insights, and encouragement.

Following the discussion, students embarked on a guided behind-the-scenes tour of the site, where they observed the scale and complexity of a major infrastructure project in action.

From towering cranes to detailed planning processes, the experience offered a tangible glimpse into the many moving parts that bring a project like this to life.

About the Werribee Mercy Hospital emergency department expansion

With more and more families choosing to live and work in the outer west, the multi-million-dollar expansion of the Werribee Mercy Hospital’s emergency department will increase treatment spaces from 33 to 67, delivering:

four new resuscitation bays
16 short stay beds
36 emergency care cubicles.

The project will double the capacity of the existing emergency department when it’s complete in 2026.

Delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with Mercy Health, Lyons Architecture and builder BESIX Watpac, the expansion is part of a critical $280 million investment to boost capacity of the emergency departments at the Werribee Mercy Hospital and Casey Hospital Berwick – two of Melbourne’s fastest growing suburbs.

Learn more about the Werribee Mercy Hospital emergency department expansion.