It’s been a long time coming, but women in Melbourne’s west are finally getting access to the care they’ve been asking for. The newly launched Melton Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Hub is now open, offering services that don’t come with long drives, long waits, or long bills.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas was on-site to officially open the hub, which is one of six new centres rolling out across Victoria. It brings the state’s total to 20, with more than half of those located in regional areas. The goal is simple—make sexual and reproductive healthcare accessible no matter your postcode.
Operated by Western Health, the Melton hub is designed to be approachable and confidential, offering contraception, medical abortion, referrals for surgical abortion, STI testing and treatment. For many in the area, these services have previously felt out of reach, forcing women to travel further or delay care altogether.
The choice of Melton isn’t random. Data from Victoria’s 1800 My Options advice line shows that Melton tops the list for calls about unplanned pregnancy. Wyndham, Hume and Whittlesea are not far behind. These aren’t just stats—they reflect real lives affected by gaps in healthcare. Now, those gaps are beginning to close.
The centre also focuses on longer-term wellbeing. Women can access physiotherapy and education aimed at addressing pelvic floor issues—a crucial area of health that often gets overlooked. Left untreated, these conditions can snowball into more complex problems that eventually require hospital care.
To make sure the workforce is ready for this shift, the Government is backing staff with serious training. More than 150 Women’s Health Scholarships have been awarded across the state, and Melton alone has received 19 of them. That’s more than $52,700 funnelled into boosting skills in areas like IUD insertion, pelvic physio, PCOS, menopause, and culturally safe care.
There’s a focus on making sure that women from all walks of life—including First Nations communities, migrants, refugees and LGBTIQA+ people—don’t face barriers when seeking help. It’s about respect, choice, and ensuring every woman who walks through the door gets care that reflects her background and needs.
The entire effort is part of the $153 million women’s health package, a wider initiative that includes 20 new women’s health clinics, virtual and mobile services, an Aboriginal women’s clinic, and increased availability of laparoscopies for conditions like endometriosis.
Mary-Anne Thomas put it plainly: “Every Victorian woman deserves to be able to get the health care they need and deserve, and for women in Melton, our new hub will help to close a service gap in the west.” She also pointed to the scholarships as a way of lifting the whole system, saying, “We’re backing the dedicated workforce, helping them to upskill in critical areas such as IUD insertion and caring for women with menopause and PCOS.”
Member for Melton Steve McGhie added, “The new Melton hub will provide local women with safe, confidential and low-cost care—making a real difference for so many across our community.”
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