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\u201cThis is following detailed planning, a really intense process of sitting down with the doctors, nurses, midwives, all of the care team to do the detailed planning to work out exactly what would be needed, \u2018would that be enough money?\u2019,\u201d Mr Andrews said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the answer, of course, was that we should do more and we should do better. We should go bigger than the original plan. So we\u2019re very proud in the recent budget to top that up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a massive project, one of the biggest health projects in regional Australia, not just regional Victoria.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t give you a precise number because we\u2019ve got to go through tender processes, but it will be at least $500 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarly works begin very soon. Some older buildings will be taken down, so fences will go up and the demolition work will begin very soon, and then construction will begin in earnest.\u201d<\/p>\n
BWC will include a new children\u2019s inpatient unit, new neonatal and parent care unit, specialist (outpatient) clinics, four new operating theatres, and a new main entrance to University Hospital Geelong.<\/p>\n
The project will also create more maternity inpatient beds, more paediatric multi-day\/same day inpatient beds. more special care nursery cots, more birth suites and expanded paediatric and maternity outpatient facilities.<\/p>\n
Mr Andrews said BWC would offer 173 points of care.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s more beds, more wards, more space to treat mums and bubs, birthing suites, induction suites, surgery \u2013 the whole range of services \u2013 and of course, very importantly, 26 special care nursery beds so that our littlest Victorians, those newly arrived Victorians, those who might need that special care \u2026 those families won\u2019t have to go to Melbourne.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey won\u2019t have to go to another hospital in another community a long way away. They\u2019ll be able to get the care that they need in the community that they\u2019ve helped to build in the region that they\u2019re proudly part of.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Victorian government says designs for BWC are under way and are on track to be released in late 2022.<\/p>\n
The project is expected to support about 1,500 direct and indirect jobs at peak construction.<\/p>\n
Geelong MP Christine Couzens, Bellarine MP Lisa Neville, South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman and Lara MP John Eren accompanied Mr Andrews on his tour of the hospital.<\/p>\n
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THE first works on Geelong\u2019s women\u2019s and children\u2019s hospital are expected to start later this year. Barwon Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s (BWC) will be built within the University Hospital Geelong precinct in Ryrie Street, adding a new tower block and refurbishing the Bellerine Centre, which is presently home to Barwon Health\u2019s maternity services and specialist outpatient […]<\/p>\n