Foundation laid in hospital redevelopment

FOUNDATION works for the new multi-level hospital tower and emergency department at the Ballarat Base Hospital are underway.

The works are part of the $655 million Ballarat Base Hospital redevelopment funded by the State Government, and Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison and Member for Eureka Michaela Settle visited the site on Monday.

Existing buildings will be demolished to create room for the new tower and 95 per cent of demolition materials will be recycled.

Concrete for the tower’s basement will be poured over the coming months.

“It’s so exciting to see the redevelopment of the Ballarat Base Hospital coming to life,” Ms Addison said.

The tower will become the location of the hospital’s new emergency department, an expanded women and children’s hub, an expanded critical care floor with an operating theatre suite, an expanded intensive care unit, and new rooftop helipad.

The emergency department will include a mental health, alcohol and other drugs hub.

The project is expected to be completed by 2027. The hospital will have capacity to treat 18,000 more emergency patients and 14,500 more inpatients, and conduct 4000 more surgeries each year.

“The Ballarat Base Hospital Redevelopment will transform how the community access healthcare locally, with expanded services and bigger, modern spaces for more care.” Ms Settle said.