Council
25 January, 2024
Works to start on hospital upgrade
WORK on the long-awaited $384 million redevelopment of the Warrnambool Base Hospital will get underway next month.
During a visit to the recently completed Regional Logistics Distribution Centre (RLDC) in Warrnambool earlier this week, Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas also announced Hansen Yuncken will begin work on the hospital redevelopment early February.
The hospital transformation is on track, with the early works to include services upgrades and relocations.
Playing a major role in the delivery of world-class health care in Victoria’s south west, the completion of the purpose-built RLDC has paved the way for onsite works to begin, with South-West Healthcare moving its laundry and healthcare supply services to the Cooper Street facility next month.
From February, the RLDC will provide commercial linen services and deliver technology-led healthcare supply and logistics warehousing to both the hospital and more than 50 health providers throughout the region.
The automated storage and retrieval system will ensure a safer workplace for logistics staff by streamlining the distribution process.
The purpose-built condensed storage system will robotically pick and deliver essential healthcare supplies to workers at ergonomically designed stations to be packed and sent.
In its soon-to-be former facility, South West Healthcare processes more than 170,000 goods and services requests, along with 1,400 tonnes of linen from its base at Warrnambool Base Hospital each year.
Once complete, the Warrnambool Base Hospital redevelopment will transform healthcare in the region – delivering a new multi-storey clinical services tower, bigger emergency department, 22 extra inpatient beds, more operating theatres, dedicated areas for pathology and dialysis services, and up to 400 car parks.
The redevelopment is one of the largest health infrastructure investments in regional Victoria and is creating significant employment opportunities for the region, with around 800 jobs available throughout construction.
The Warrnambool Base Hospital redevelopment is on track to be completed in 2027.
Speaking from the RLDC on Tuesday, Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas said the government was now “another step closer to completing this significant redevelopment that will deliver Warrnambool and the south west, world class health care close to home.”
“The new state-of-the-art RLDC will give the hardworking laundry and logistics team a safer, more modern workplace as they continue their important role of ensuring the hospital get the supplies they need,” the Minister said.
Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora said she too was looking forward to seeing works progress.
“The appointment of a builder and RLDC completion are significant milestones in the delivery of a bigger and better Warrnambool Hospital,” she said.
“This project continues to be a boon for the local community and region as a whole.”
