University Hospital Geelong Major Upgrades
About this project
The University Hospital Geelong has undergone a series of major redevelopment projects to expand its capacity and modernise infrastructure in response to the growing healthcare needs of the Barwon region. These upgrades have included new clinical facilities, vertical expansions, and enhancements to critical infrastructure supporting emergency and specialist care services.
As part of this transformation, BSA Building Surveyors played a key role in supporting Barwon Health’s vision for a world-class healthcare facility. Our involvement spanned multiple stages of the redevelopment, including the final phase—Project 7—which introduced a seven-level hospital tower topped with a helipad to enhance emergency response capabilities.
Our Involvement
BSA Building Surveyors were engaged as the Relevant Building Surveyor across several stages of the hospital’s redevelopment. Our responsibilities included:
- Providing early-stage regulatory advice to support design development
- Issuing building permits for staged construction works
- Conducting mandatory inspections throughout the build
- Issuing occupancy permits for completed facilities
We worked closely with project stakeholders and fire safety engineers to develop and assess performance solutions tailored to the unique challenges of hospital infrastructure. For example, the helipad installation required bespoke fire drenching and fuel drainage systems integrated into the imported platform—solutions that were critical to meeting compliance and safety standards.
Our Approach
Given the complexity of the site and the operational sensitivity of a live hospital environment, BSA Building Surveyors prioritised:
- Minimising disruption to ongoing hospital operations
- Ensuring compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and Department of Health Capital Development Guidelines
- Collaborating with fire authorities to address high-risk areas and emergency access requirements
A standout example of our approach was the final stage of our involvement—Project 7, which included the installation of a helipad atop the seven-level hospital tower. This required the development of bespoke performance solutions to address fire safety and fuel management, including the integration of a custom fire drenching system and fuel drainage infrastructure within the imported helipad platform.
Our team’s proactive and collaborative approach ensured that each stage of the redevelopment was delivered safely, compliantly, and with minimal impact on hospital services.
Conclusion
The upgrades at University Hospital Geelong have significantly enhanced the hospital’s emergency response capabilities and expanded its capacity to deliver critical care services. BSA Building Surveyors’ involvement helped ensure the success of these projects—delivering compliant, high-quality outcomes that support Barwon Health’s mission to provide world-class healthcare to the community.
Upcoming Projects:
- Consulting Building Surveyor for the new Women’s & Children’s Centre (currently under construction)
- Relevant Building Surveyor for energy upgrades (HV switchboards and a containerised generator)
- Consulting Building Surveyor for the new Paediatrics Emergency Department (recently constructed)
