- Published:
- Tuesday 26 March 2024
Footscray’s transformed health and education precinct is coming together with the installation of a bridge between the Allan Labor Government’s $1.5 billion Footscray Hospital and Victoria University (VU).
Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas and VU Chancellor the Hon Steve Bracks AC today toured the site to announce the internal fit-out is now underway after the elevated bridge was craned into place across Ballarat Road.
At 57 metres, the $13.1 million bridge was funded by VU and will feature First Nations artwork, with the finished structure set to weigh 120 tonnes including 80 tonnes of steel reinforcement.
The new hospital will open next year and will host a leading education and training centre. The public footbridge will provide a safe, direct connection for students attending the facility as part of their studies.
VU will use the centre for nurse and midwifery training, research and education, with the precinct also boosting practical skills training and employment pathways for students studying physiotherapy, speech pathology, dietetics, biomedicine, and psychology.
Close to 1,000 VU students complete more than 110,000 hours of clinical placements at Western Health each year, with VU making up 45 per cent of the health service’s nursing graduate positions.
The new Footscray Hospital will ensure families can get the care they need close to home, cut wait times, and reduce pressure on nearby hospitals.
It will have more than 500 beds – an increase of nearly 200 – and help our hardworking staff care for 15,000 additional patients and 20,000 extra people through the emergency department every year.
Since the start of construction, more than three million hours of work have been carried out on site including 230,000 hours by apprentices, trainees and cadets, and employing more than 2,000 workers at the peak. They have poured more than 150,000 tonnes of concrete and installed more than 5,000 glass panels.
Quote attributable to Premier Jacinta Allan
“The new Footscray Hospital will not only provide Melbourne’s west the best care closer to home, but it will also give generations of aspiring nurses access to a world-class education.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas
“Our nurses are the very best of us and the new hospital – the largest health investment in Victoria’s history – will deliver an unmatched health and education precinct for study and work.”
Quote attributable to Member for Footscray Katie Hall
“Longer than an Olympic swimming pool, the new footbridge will give students, hospital workers and Footscray locals a safer way to access work, education or public transport either side of busy Ballarat Road.”
Quote attributable to Member for Laverton Sarah Connolly
“Our dedicated healthcare workers in the west deserve the best facilities to deliver their expert care.”
Quotes attributable to the Honourable Steve Bracks AC Chancellor of Victoria University
“Footscray is transforming into a leading precinct for health, education, and employment. The unveiling of the pedestrian footbridge linking the New Footscray Hospital and Victoria University’s Footscray Park campus is a shining example.”
“For VU, this bridge symbolises a vital connection. It will strengthen our collaboration with Western Health and will amplify opportunities for VU students and researchers – the region’s future skilled health professionals.”