EPPING is fast becoming a genuine health venue in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, with ground broken for the New Epping Health Hub, located near the Northern Hospital, on Thursday morning.
The sod turn is the start of construction for the $100 million New Epping medical service, which will deliver key healthcare service in the northern corridor.
Attended by State Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne, City of Whittlesea Mayor Councillor Lawrie Cox and Deputy Mayor Blair Colwell and representatives from VIDA Health, Riverlee, Kane Constructions, Northern Health and other healthcare services, the new project brings together private and public healthcare.
Riverlee director Kevin Lee said this was an important breakthrough for healthcare in the northern suburbs.
“This marks an important milestone, not just for the project, but the future of healthcare in Melbourne’s north,” he said.
“New Epping, this precinct, has always been about transformation, and what was once a dormant quarry and tip site has become one of Australia’s most ambitious urban renewal projects.
“It will truly be a city within the suburbs, connecting nature, people and wellbeing.
“At the heart of this vision is the New Epping Health Hub, which is a seven-hectare, $1 billion healthcare ecosystem which is already establishing itself as the premier destination for healthcare, practitioners and innovation in the region.”
Mr Lee said this was part of a major push to bring new infrastructure into the town.
“Over the past few years, we have delivered our first wave of projects, which include the Northern Private Hospital, our three residential communities along Greengate Way, as well as our Punthill Hotel which we will complete in May, with an opening in June,” he said.
“This milestone represents the second wave of projects at New Epping, which includes the expansion of the New Epping Health Hub, premium office suites as well as our childcare centre, just south of the Punthill Hotel.
“We’re excited to break ground on what will be the next critical piece of that series of projects, the New Epping Medical building. This building has been designed with a simple idea in mind, that better environments lead to better outcomes, natural light, integrated wellness spaces.
“Constructed by Kane, this six-level state-of-the-art medical building will bring together leading practitioners and services directly connected to the Northern Private Hospital and the Northern Public Hospital.
“That will place our tenant partners and their patients at the centre of Melbourne’s most integrated public health network.”
Ms Horne said she was excited to continue partnering with Northern Health and the wider precinct to bring the healthcare hub to Epping and New Epping.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to see what is happening. We know that this part of the world is one of the fastest growing places in Australia,” she said.
“In terms of being able to see what is happening and how we can partner as a state is particularly of interest to me. I’ve been out a number of times to what we have done with the Northern Hospital, where we have a new ambulatory care centre that’s going in, plus stage two with the expanded emergency department, and seeing how that will work seamlessly with what Riverlee and its associates is doing is pretty exciting.
“I think, together, those investments in major hospitals and community-based medical facilities are creating that really connected healthcare network, and these sort of facilities can make sure we have that integrated approach that is vital for growing communities.”