The Australian Government has unveiled the latest designs for the new Melton Hospital, a development project valued at A$900m ($587m).

Expected to be completed in 2029, the facility is poised to serve the expanding communities of Melton and surrounding areas.

Its design prioritises natural light, outdoor access, and green spaces, with a welcoming main entrance and façade.

The new hospital will feature a 24-hour emergency department, a minimum of 274 beds, intensive care unit.

It will provide services such as maternity and neonatal care, mental health, radiology, outpatient care, and spaces for teaching, training, and research.

Upon completion, the facility will be Australia's first all-electric hospital and is expected to handle 130,000 patient visits annually, including nearly 60,000 emergency department cases.

Melton member Steve McGhie said: “This is a significant milestone for the massive Melton Hospital project, and it is exciting to be another step closer to transforming Melton into a major hub – it will make a big difference to the community when it opens in 2029.”

The project has reached a milestone with the completion of exclusive negotiations for establishing a public-private partnership.

Western Health will be responsible for operating the hospital while the Exemplar Health consortium has been confirmed to design, build, finance and maintain for 25 years.

The consortium, which includes Capella Capital, Lendlease Infrastructure Investments, Invesis, Lendlease, Honeywell, and Compass Group, will now work with the Victorian Health Building Authority and Western Health to refine the detailed designs.

Over the next few months, more than 60 meetings will take place with clinicians and user groups to discuss the functional and operational aspects of the hospital.

The construction phase is expected to create over 2,400 jobs, with the hospital generating more than 3,975 health-related jobs in its first year of operation.

This development is anticipated to alleviate the burden on other Melbourne hospitals, thereby reducing waiting times and providing a link with services at the new A$1.5bn Footscray Hospital and Sunshine Hospital.

Health Infrastructure Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said: “Melbourne’s west is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and it is critical that families moving to the area can rely on 24-hour world-class health care right on their doorstep.”