Major Expansion Kicks Off with Sod-Turning Ceremony
Main works have officially begun on the critical expansion of Werribee Mercy Hospital’s emergency department, marking a significant step forward in delivering world-class healthcare to families in Melbourne’s west. Health Infrastructure Minister Mary-Anne Thomas marked the occasion by turning the first sod on the project, which will double the capacity of the emergency department, supporting an additional 25,000 patients every year.
The expansion will increase patient treatment spaces from 33 to 67, adding four new resuscitation bays, 16 short-stay beds, 36 emergency care cubicles, and a behavioural assessment room. These upgrades will allow more locals to access the emergency care and treatment they need, closer to home.
The new facilities will also provide a modern, state-of-the-art workspace for doctors, nurses, allied health workers, and support services, ensuring they can deliver the best possible emergency care.
Managed by the Victorian Health Building Authority, with Besix Watpac as the appointed builder, the project is on track for completion in 2026 and is expected to create and sustain more than 300 local construction industry jobs.
This expansion is part of a $280 million investment aimed at boosting the capacity of emergency departments at Werribee Mercy Hospital and Casey Hospital Berwick – two of Melbourne’s fastest-growing suburbs.
Locals in the west are already benefiting from the previous expansion of Werribee Mercy Hospital, completed in 2018. The more than $120 million project provided new inpatient beds, critical care beds, operating theatres, and 54 extra mental health beds.
Health Infrastructure Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said, “We’re upgrading the emergency department at the Werribee Mercy Hospital so more locals can get the care they need, close to home in world-class facilities.”
Member for Werribee Tim Pallas added, “A bigger, better emergency department at the Werribee Mercy Hospital will ensure people in our growing outer western suburbs have access to world-class facilities when a loved one gets sick or when an emergency occurs.”
