The Andrews Labor Government is boosting investment in the redevelopment of Ballarat Base Hospital, ensuring the region’s families and dedicated hospital staff get the world-class facilities they deserve and need to treat thousands more patients a year.

The Victorian Budget 2020/21 includes $178.2 million for the Guaranteeing Energy Supply initiative, that ensures hospitals have capacity and reliable backup energy supply if there was a power failure in the electricity grid.

As part of this initiative, Ballarat Base Hospital will receive $80 million to build a new central energy plant which will be integrated with the redevelopment – bringing the Labor Government’s total investment to $541.6 million. Construction will begin next year, creating more than 1,400 construction jobs.

The upgraded hospital includes a multi-level tower with a new emergency department, a women and children’s hub, state-of-the-art theatre suite and an extra 100 inpatient and short-stay beds.

There will also be a new and expanded critical care floor with an intensive care unit, operating theatres, procedure rooms, endoscopy suites and consulting rooms – delivering capacity for an additional 4,000 surgeries every year.

Once complete, the hospital will have capacity to treat at least 18,000 more emergency patients and an extra 14,500 inpatients each year.

Ballarat Health Services is one of the region’s largest employers and this redevelopment is expected to create up to 1,000 extra positions once fully operational. The project is expected to be completed by 2027.

Former Premier and Ballarat local Steve Bracks will Chair a Community Consultative Committee, alongside Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison and Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle.

The Government is calling on locals from Ballarat and surrounding areas to help shape the redevelopment by joining the Community Consultative Committee or completing an online community survey on Engage Victoria. Committee members will be appointed through an open Expression of Interest which can be found on the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority website: vhhsba.vic.gov.au/ballarat-base-hospital.

Quote attributable to Minister for Health Martin Foley

“We’re putting regional patients first and upgrading our major regional hospitals across the state so more patients can be treated sooner, closer to home.”

Quote attributable to Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison

“Ballarat Health Services’ nurses, doctors, allied health, caterers and orderlies do an incredible job caring for the community and this upgrade will give them the modern facilities they need to do what they do best – saving lives.”

Quote attributable to Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle

“The Ballarat region is growing, and this redevelopment is about meeting that increased demand and making sure the community has access to the services they need, while creating thousands of local jobs.”