VHBA
2025
$40M
Cowes, VIC
Project Details
2
Attributes
Project Partners
Overview
Turning complex design and staging challenges into long-term community outcomes through the delivery of Phillip Island’s first purpose-built hospital.
Phillip Island Community Hospital represents a transformational investment in regional healthcare, delivering critical medical services closer to home for the Phillip Island and Bass Coast communities. Delivered for the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) and operated by Bass Coast Health, the project addresses a long-standing gap in healthcare infrastructure for one of Victoria’s most popular regional destinations.
Constructed across two stages, the development combines a new three-level hospital facility with the refurbishment of an existing medical centre into a purpose-built dental clinic.
The facility provides residents and visitors with access to urgent care, dialysis, day chemotherapy, day surgery, diagnostic imaging, specialist consulting suites, dental services, allied health, rehabilitation, mental health support and community healthcare services within a single integrated health precinct.
Located in Cowes, the project was delivered within a constrained regional environment and involved the coordination of complex healthcare services, extensive authority requirements and the integration of new infrastructure with existing facilities. Through proactive design management, stakeholder collaboration and disciplined project controls, Higgins successfully delivered a modern healthcare facility that will serve the region for decades to come.
The project was delivered across two stages and included:
- Construction of a new three-level facility
- Urgent care, operating theatre and day procedure facilities
- Dialysis and chemotherapy treatment areas
- Patient accommodation, triage and clinical support areas
- Consulting suites, administration and meeting facilities
- Dedicated generator infrastructure and plant rooms
- Northern car park, access roads and security-controlled entry
- Internal courtyard and extensive landscaping works
- Full refurbishment of the existing medical centre into a new dental clinic
- Structural upgrades and integration between new and existing facilities
Gallery
Stage 1
Delivered a purpose-built regional hospital through carefully staged enabling works that maintained operations while expanding access to essential healthcare services.
- Stage 1 comprised the construction of a new three-level hospital building, delivered from the ground up following enabling works completed by a separate contractor. The facility incorporates an operating theatre, dialysis unit, patient wards, triage facilities, ambulance entry, staff offices and meeting spaces, significantly increasing healthcare capacity for the Phillip Island and Bass
Coast communities. - Beyond the main hospital building, our team delivered the supporting infrastructure required for a fully operational healthcare precinct, including a Level 3 plant room, dedicated generator building, northern car park plant room, new northern car park, secure rear entry driveway, controlled access gate, internal courtyard and extensive landscaping featuring indigenous plantings.
- Working from an established early works platform, Higgins coordinated the delivery of complex building services and critical healthcare infrastructure while transforming a previously undeveloped site into a fully functioning hospital campus. The completed Stage 1 facility now provides residents and visitors with access to emergency care, dialysis, day surgery, diagnostic services and abroad range of specialist healthcare services closer to home.
Stage 2
Transformed an existing medical centre into a modern dental clinic through complex staged refurbishment.
- Stage 2 involved the complete internal demolition and refurbishment of the existing medical centre, converting the facility into a purpose-built dental clinic that seamlessly integrates with the newly constructed hospital. The upgraded facility significantly expands the range of healthcare services available to the Phillip Island and Bass Coast communities.
- Delivering the refurbishment required extensive structural modifications to the existing building. Our team carefully integrated new structural steel with the building's proprietary timber truss system, working collaboratively with consultants to develop compliant connection details and resolve complex design challenges throughout construction.
- To accommodate the new structural loads, sections of the existing concrete slab were removed to install upgraded pad footings. When previously undocumented slab conditions were uncovered, Higgins proactively collaborated with the structural engineer and subcontractors to develop practical engineering solutions, while implementing enhanced waterproofing details to ensure the long-term performance of the facility. Through disciplined planning, extensive design coordination and proactive issue resolution, the team successfully delivered a modern clinical facility that complements the broader hospital precinct.
Process
A staged construction approach enabled the delivery of a new regional hospital while successfully integrating refurbished healthcare facilities into a single connected precinct.
Plan.
Value Adding & Approach.
- Collaborated closely with consultants, subcontractors and stakeholders to overcome significant design documentation gaps and maintain project momentum
- Raised more than 2,136 RFIs throughout delivery, ensuring design issues were identified, documented and resolved in a structured manner
- Successfully managed over 459 project variations and numerous design revisions while maintaining quality and operational requirements
- Coordination complex healthcare infrastructure and building services to meet the stringent requirements of a modern hospital environment
- Delivered the project across two stages, enabling the seamless integration of new hospital facilities with the refurbished dental clinic
- Completed over 100 RISC forms to safely maintain continuous operations within the existing hospital facilities throughout construction.
- Maintained 24/7 access to the existing Urgent Care Centre, including dedicated ambulance access, while coordinating construction through a shared site driveway
Drive.
Key Challenges.
- Delivered a landmark healthcare facility that significantly expands healthcare access for Phillip Island and the Bass Coast region
- Constructed a new three-level hospital and integrated dental clinic within a single healthcare precinct.
- Established on-island access to urgent care, dialysis, day surgery, specialist consulting, dental and community health services
- Successfully completed more than 212,000 project work hours while coordinating a peak workforce of 140 personnel
- Created a modern healthcare environment designed to support the growing needs of residents and seasonal visitors
Deliver.
Project Outcomes.
- Successfully delivered a contemporary healthcare facility that enhances access to essential medical services for the Phillip Island community
- Completed the project across two stages, allowing uninterrupted operation of existing healthcare services throughout construction
- Achieved a high-quality outcome despite extensive design development, documentation gaps and a significant volume of RFIs and variations
- Delivered complex healthcare infrastructure and specialist building services to meet stringent clinical, operational and compliance requirements
- Created a future-focused healthcare precinct that supports improved patient care, staff wellbeing and long-term regional growth
COMMUNITY OUTCOMES
- Delivered critical healthcare infrastructure for a region that previously lacked a dedicated hospital facility
- Reduced the need for residents to travel significant distances to access urgent and specialist healthcare services
- Supports an ageing population and rapidly increasing seasonal demand across Phillip Island
- Provides integrated healthcare services through Bass Coast Health within a contemporary, purpose-built environment
- Enhances long-term health outcomes and community resilience across the broader Bass Coast region
CONSTRUCTION OUTCOMES
- 6,300m2 project site incorporating healthcare facilities, car parking, landscaping and supporting infrastructure
- More than 212,178 hours worked throughout construction
- Peak workforce of 140 personnel and more than 1,100 site inductions safely coordinated
- Complex design, structural integration and authority challenges successfully managed through collaborative project delivery