New design revealed for $384m Warrnambool Base Hospital stage two development

The state government has released an artist impression of a building set to replace the supply department on Timor Street.

The image gives a first glimpse of the new building before information sessions, surveys and workshops seek the feedback of key Warrnambool groups from October.

Acting Victorian Health Minister Luke Donnellan said the $384.2 million hospital redevelopment was the biggest health infrastructure project in regional Victoria's history.

"(It) will create around 800 jobs during construction, boosting the local economy," he said.

South West Healthcare chief Craig Fraser said construction would not commence at the site until late 2023.

"It will appear from the outside that nothing is happening, but since the funding was announced we have been working with the state government on a number of planning tasks and further approvals," Mr Fraser said.

"From here on we do more and more detailed planning that gets more specific across the whole organisation."

The plans show a five-storey building, west of a building constructed in 2010 during stage one of the redevelopment. The structure will house a new dialysis suite, six full-size operating theatres and 22 new inpatient beds among other features.

Work is unable to begin until 2023 when a new Logistics Distribution Centre is built in west Warrnambool and frees up space at the base hospital.

The redevelopment at the hospital is then expected to open in 2026.

Mr Fraser conceded he would like to see the hospital built sooner but time was needed to finalise plans and prepare contingencies for health service to remain consistent during construction.

"If we don't go through this in a really solid and structured way, we run the risk of not getting the best outcome. We are building this for the next 20 or 30 years, not for the next five years," he said.

"That allows the build to happen quite quickly; a three-year build for something of this size is pretty remarkable."

In a win for patients, visitors, residents and staff, Mr Fraser said 80 new car spaces for the site would go some way to improving parking issues in the area.

"We have pretty much maximised how we can get more car parks," he said.

The hospital has also begun to recruit project managers and engineers.

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