Wednesday, 4 February 2026

 Melissa HORNE (Williamstown – Minister for Ports and Freight, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Minister for Health Infrastructure) (14:21): Today I rise to update the house on the progress this government is making in terms of the state’s largest ever health infrastructure pipeline. This summer the Allan Labor government has been busy building and opening new hospitals. In January we opened the door to the new Peninsula University Hospital. We have delivered more beds, new spaces for mental health and new operating theatres, as well as new maternity and paediatric wards, a women’s clinic and a special care nursery for our littlest Victorians. The members for Frankston, Carrum, Hastings and Cranbourne know how important this is.

Just last Sunday I was thrilled to attend the community open day at the new Footscray Hospital alongside the members for Footscray and Laverton. The hospital, which is on track to open in two weeks time, has more than 500 inpatient beds. It has got an emergency department that will allow for an additional 20,000 people to be seen each year, and in December we are opening our 47th ambulance station, at Maribyrnong.

We are building and upgrading hospitals across the state. Just this summer I joined the members for Thomastown, Northcote and Preston to announce the start of main works at the Austin emergency hospital. Demolition works at the Warrnambool Base Hospital are finished, making space for a bigger, better hospital. We are fitting out the Werribee emergency department expansion, and I know that the members for Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit and Laverton are thrilled to know what this means for their community. Tower cranes are also up for the start of the new Melton Hospital, which is a boon for the members of Melton and Sydenham. And work will continue on the new emergency department at the Northern Hospital, with support for an extra 30,000 patients per year as the state’s busiest emergency department – a great project championed by the members for Thomastown, Mill Park, Yan Yean, Greenvale and Broadmeadows. Those opposite cut hospitals.