Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital takes shape with fresh renders

THE look and feel of the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital is a step closer to being finalised, with the release of new renders last month.

The $500m hospital, to be built within the University Hospital precinct and completed by 2029, is the biggest health infrastructure project in Geelong’s history and will expand Barwon Health’s capacity, providing the region with greater access to women’s and children’s health facilities.

The project will include a new children’s inpatient unit and a new neonatal and parent care unit, along with specialist outpatient clinics and more operating theatres.

The new designs have been informed by more than 600 ideas, contributed during the project’s extensive community consultation process.

In an update, shared online last month, Barwon Health chief executive Frances Diver celebrated the progress made on the project since construction began in March.

Continued planning, she said, sees the project edge closer to finalising the way Barwon Women’s and Children’s will look and feel.

“There’s a lot of work that’s progressed on the construction,” Ms Diver said.

“We’ve successfully demolished the Gretta Volum Centre and Myer House, relocated those services over to the Youang Surgery Centre, and that’s allowed us to make way for all the foundation work that’s going on for the new Women’s and Children’s facility.”

When works are completed, Barwon Health will operate across two buildings.

“We’re going to have one building on the corner of Bellerine and Myer [streets], a three-story building at will house our women’s and children’s clinics — the maternity, gynaecology and paediatrics.

“And then there’ll be a second building, an eight-story building on the other side of Bellerine Centre on Myer Street which will be for our main wards and birthing suites. There’ll be a new maternity entrance as well on Myer Street.

“Ultimately, in 2029, we’re going to have this fantastic facility that will provide us with much-needed expanded capacity to service the needs of our growing population here in Geelong and, in fact, across the Barwon South West region.”

Earlier this month, two of the tower cranes on the construction site were named in tribute of two local healthcare heroes: proud Yorta Yorta woman and midwife Aunty Athalie Madden, who has played a significant role in developing culturally inclusive maternity support in the Barwon region, and Dr Kym Anderson, whose work has been instrumental in leading paediatric diabetes and cancer services across Geelong.

Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne said it was “fantastic” to see the project coming to life.

“Across Victoria, there are so many remarkable individuals working in our health system,” she said.

“The Barwon Women’s and Children’s will be a gamechanger for mums and bubs in Geelong.”