Barwon Women’s & Children’s Reaches New Milestone
The Allan Labor Government is marking another construction milestone on the more than $500 million Barwon Women’s and Children’s project, with the newly expanded Youang Surgery Centre opened today.
Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne was in Geelong today joined by Member for Geelong Christine Couzens, Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant and Federal Member for Corangamite Libby Coker to visit newly expanded Youang Surgery Centre.
The new Youang Surgery Centre relocated services including surgery and endoscopy from the ageing Gretta Volum Centre. These services are now being delivered in the modern and purpose-built facility, offering patients a more comfortable environment.
This milestone also paves the way for the new Bellarine West Specialist Outpatient Clinics to be built in the location of the Gretta Volum Centre, as part of the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s project.
With additional multi-day beds, birthing suites, operating theatres, and outpatient clinic rooms, the project will increase capacity to provide care for women and children once complete.
Built within the existing hospital precinct, it will also deliver a new neonatal and parent care unit, expanding the capacity and function of the existing special care nursery that provides care for sick and pre-term babies in the first few weeks and months of life.
The community from Geelong and surrounding suburbs have helped shape the Barwon Women’s and Children’s project through extensive consultation, with more than 600 ideas shared to ensure the project meets the needs of the community for generations to come.
Delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with Barwon Health, Lyons Architecture and Built, construction on the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s is expected to be complete in 2029 and sustain 1,500 construction jobs at the peak of construction.
As stated by Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne
“It was fantastic to be in Geelong to see the new and expanded Youang Surgery Centre today, speaking to patients and staff about the difference it’s going to make having modern and accessible healthcare close to home.”
As stated by the Member for Geelong Christine Couzens
“This is a huge milestone for the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s – providing more local jobs and ensuring families in Geelong have access to high-quality women’s health, maternity and paediatric care closer to home.”(opens in a new window)
As stated by the Member for Lara Ella George
“This is the biggest major health infrastructure project in Geelong’s history and will ensure our region has the world-class facilities it needs to treat and care for local women and children for decades to come.”
As stated by Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant
“We are getting on with delivering this state-of-the-art facility that will provide the very best care for families along the Bellarine.”
As stated by Federal Member for Corangamite Libby Coker
“We’re delivering the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s in the growing Geelong region, ensuring local families will be able to get the very best maternity and paediatric care, closer to home.”
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-04/250408-Barwon-Women%E2%80%99s-%26-Children%27s-Reaches-New-Milestone.pdf