The $275 million expansion will add 29 treatment spaces, an upgraded short stay unit and capacity for 30,000 more emergency presentations each year, easing pressure on one of Victoria’s busiest EDs and helping paramedics get back on the road sooner. Pic/Austin Hospital
Major works to expand the emergency department at the Austin Hospital are now underway, marking a key step in a $275 million investment aimed at lifting emergency care capacity for families in Melbourne’s north eastern suburbs.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne visited the Heidelberg hospital to mark the start of construction, which will deliver a new three-storey emergency department with the capacity to treat 30,000 additional patients each year. The expansion will add 29 treatment spaces and an upgraded short stay unit, easing pressure on one of Victoria’s busiest emergency departments and helping paramedics return to the road sooner.
Premier Allan said the project reflected a clear commitment to hospital investment. “We said we would expand the Austin Hospital’s emergency department and that is exactly what we are doing,” she said. “It’s only a Labor Government who invests in our hospitals, and this project, along with our $15 billion pipeline of health infrastructure projects across the state is proof.”
A dedicated paediatric zone will form a central part of the new emergency department, designed to provide care in a calmer, family-friendly setting closer to home. The expansion will also include improved staff amenities and clinical administration spaces, supporting health workers caring for a fast-growing population.
The Austin project forms part of the Victorian Government’s $1.6 billion Hospital Infrastructure Delivery Fund, which is redeveloping three major metropolitan hospitals
Minister Horne said the project would strengthen access to urgent care across the north-east. “The new three-storey emergency department expansion will provide families in the growing north-east with better care, closer to home with the capacity to treat 30,000 more patients each year once it is complete,” she said.
Construction will take place while both the Austin Hospital and the Mercy Hospital for Women remain open. During the first phase, workers will establish site sheds, remove existing entrance facades and build access tunnels to maintain safe movement between the two hospitals. The current main entrances will be closed for the duration of works, with wayfinding, signage and volunteers on site to assist patients and visitors.
Health services are working closely with the project delivery team to minimise disruption to patient care throughout the build.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said demand at the Austin emergency department continued to rise. “The Austin’s ED is one Victoria’s busiest, seeing more than 88,000 presentations in 2024/25 alone – that’s why this expansion is so critical to support patients and our world-class frontline workers now and into the future,” she said.
Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne
‘The new three-storey emergency department expansion will provide families in the growing north-east with better care, closer to home with the capacity to treat 30,000 more patients each year once it is complete’
Local members also highlighted the impact for surrounding communities. Member for Ivanhoe Anthony Carbines said the expansion would change how families access urgent care. “This expanded ED will be a game changer for the local families, with a dedicated paediatric zone and more treatment spaces helping deliver care sooner,” he said. Member for Bundoora Colin Brooks added: “The new Austin ED will support so many people across the community, delivering world-class care on their doorstep.”
The Austin project forms part of the Victorian Government’s $1.6 billion Hospital Infrastructure Delivery Fund, which is redeveloping three major metropolitan hospitals. Alongside the Austin expansion, an $813 million redevelopment at the Northern Hospital will deliver a new emergency department with a mental health and AOD hub, additional inpatient beds and paediatric facilities. A separate $535 million upgrade at Monash Medical Centre will include a new seven-level tower with operating theatres, an intensive care unit and expanded maternity services.
Together, the three projects are expected to create 3,700 jobs during construction. The Austin Hospital emergency department expansion is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority and Built, in partnership with Austin Health and Mercy Health, with completion scheduled for 2028.
Support independent community journalism. Support The Indian Sun.
A $275m expansion of Melbourne's Austin Hospital emergency department is underway, adding 29 treatment spaces & a paediatric zone. The upgrade aims to treat 30,000 more patients yearly, easing pressure on the busy ED. #TheIndianSun@JacintaAllanMP
The Indian Sun is an independent organisation committed to community journalism. We have, through the years, been able to reach a wide audience especially with the growth of social media, where we also have a strong presence. With platforms such as YouTube videos, we have been able to engage in different forms of storytelling. However, the past few years, like many media organisations around the world, it has not been an easy path. We have a greater challenge. We believe community journalism is very important for a multicultural country like Australia. We’re not able to do everything, but we aim for some of the most interesting stories and journalism of quality. We call upon readers like you to support us and make any contribution. Do make a DONATION NOW so we can continue with the volume and quality journalism that we are able to practice.
