Tower crane work is team work. Each tower crane is operated by a team of four including one driver and three ground crew.

While the driver is operating the crane, the rest of the crane crew keep their feet firmly on the ground, hooking up loads, keeping in contact with the driver and unhooking the load after it reaches its new location on site.

Cranes are delivered and assembled on site on large trucks, with a total of 10 cranes being used to build the new hospital.

Eight cranes have already been installed this year, with two more to be erected in 2022. For the keen crane spotters, you may also notice there are mobile cranes used to lift certain loads or help install or maintain fixed tower cranes.

When Multiplex’s tower crane drivers are shifting loads around the 40,000 square metre site, they are doing so from around 70 metres above ground level. This means crane operators need a special licence to perform the job.

The largest crane on the new hospital site is able to lift loads weighing up to 25 tonnes.

The award-winning new Footscray Hospital virtual engagement room closed on 31 May 2022. The accessible version of the virtual engagement room continues to be available on our website.

Recently we launched a virtual engagement room for the New Footscray Hospital Project, where community members are invited to ‘meet the builder’ and learn more about the design and construction of the $1.5 billion new hospital.

While we have been unable to meet in person for much of this year, visitors to the virtual room can explore interviews with the project’s builders and experience a 3D tour of the final designs from the comfort of their home.

The room also includes kids’ activities and an opportunity to contribute to a time capsule that will be placed on the New Footscray Hospital site.

With information in multiple languages, the room showcases construction milestones, design images and the community that has helped shape this once in a generation investment for Melbourne’s West.

The virtual room allows visitors to submit questions to the Project team and download further information.

While our ‘street meet with the builder’ event with our project neighbours was postponed due to the weather, we enjoyed the opportunity to meet with some of our residents when the rain cleared, enjoy a bite to eat from the food truck and answer some of your questions.

Thank you to those who attended the rescheduled event/site drop-in. We look forward to hosting more in person events in 2022.

A new jobs hub is connecting local workers with career opportunities on the $1.5 billion New Footscray Hospital Project. Established by Apprenticeships Victoria in partnership with the Victorian Health Building Authority, Plenary Health, and builder Multiplex, the Jobs Hub provides a one-stop shop for work and training opportunities.

In the heart of Footscray’s retail and café strip, the Jobs Hub will connect industry, contractors, jobseekers, students, social enterprises and the community by creating employment and training opportunities, as well as social value initiatives on the project.

The Jobs Hub combines The Footscray Connectivity Centre and Victoria University’s Skills and Jobs Centre under the same roof at Metro West.

The ‘Connectivity Centre’ concept is a Multiplex initiative used on major projects nationally since 2008. The Centre helps companies to increase the number of apprentices and trainees on major projects and meet the Government’s Local Jobs First Policy requirement that at least10 per cent of total work hours are done by apprentices, trainees or cadets.

The New Footscray Hospital Project will employ more than 2,000 people at peak construction, of which an estimated 177 are new, project-specific jobs, including 70 apprenticeships, traineeships and cadetships.

The Connectivity Centre and Jobs Hub is located at 138 Nicholson Street, Footscray. If you are interested in employment and training opportunities at the New Footscray Hospital contact footscray@theconnectivitycentre.com.au.