Project overview

Barwon Health is a major regional health service in the Victorian public health system, serving the community in the City of Greater Geelong and surrounding areas (the G21 region), providing specialist services to the Barwon South West region.

Barwon Health is one of the largest and most comprehensive regional health services in Australia, providing services including maternity, paediatrics, emergency, and women’s health services.

University Hospital Geelong is the major acute site for Barwon Health and the location for the new and refurbished facilities to be provided in the Barwon Women’s and Children’s project.

The Victorian Government has committed more than $500 million to deliver new and expanded women’s and children’s facilities in Geelong.

The new Barwon Women’s and Children’s will provide world-class maternity and paediatric facilities and deliver additional capacity to ensure families in Geelong and surrounding communities can continue to access the very best care, close to home.

The new facilities will comprise new buildings to the east and west of the Bellarine Centre on Myer Street, redevelopment within the Bellarine Centre, a new front entrance for the University Hospital Geelong.

Site preparations commenced in September 2022 with the demolition of Myers House, on the corner of Bellerine and Myers Streets.

Enabling works are set to commence in early 2024. These works will relocate the Endoscopy and Day Procedure Unit from the Gretta Volum Centre to the Youang Surgery Centre, clearing the way for main construction works.

The Barwon Women’s and Children’s is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) in partnership with Barwon Health.

The new facilities will include more:

• maternity inpatient beds;
• paediatric multi-day/same-day inpatient beds;
• special care nursery cots;
• birthing suites;
• operating theatres; and
• expanded paediatric and maternity specialist (outpatient) facilities.