A re-elected Labor government would spend up to $675 million to build a new West Gippsland hospital, Premier Daniel Andrews has pledged.
The new hospital, on a greenfield site in Drouin East, would have 223 beds and 33 emergency department treatment spaces.
The election promise exceeds the one made by the Victorian opposition earlier this year of $600 million which relied upon $200 million of federal government funding that had not been committed.
Mr Andrews said construction of the new hospital would begin in 2024 and would likely be completed in 2028.
"We're delighted to have done the hard work to plan this out to be able to make these commitments with a level of detail and certainty," Mr Andrews said.
Hospital to grow with community
The premier said with considerable growth projected for the Baw Baw Shire a new hospital was needed.
"It'll be designed and built in such a way that additional wards can be added ... that's the beauty of something that's brand new, and you're able to continue to expand and grow as the community expands and grows and treatment needs change," Mr Andrews said.
The announcement includes a 60-bed public sector residential aged care facility and an expanded maternity facility.
There are currently no plans for what will happen to the existing hospital site.
"The local community needs to be driving that ... we will work through a proper consultative process to work out what possible uses there would be for that," Mr Andrews said.
The build is expected to create about 1,500 construction jobs.
Much awaited commitment
West Gippsland Healthcare Group chair Christine Holland said she was "overwhelmed" the decades-long push for a new hospital was now over.
"We would have been happy to have had a new build five years ago but that's in the past and we now look to the future with great excitement, with gratitude," she said.
"There is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel, a great big glow."
The board bought land for the new hospital 15 years ago.
Chief executive Dan Weeks said the board had worked hard to meet the region's future needs.
"The board recognised years ago that this facility, as lovely as it is and as loved as it is, really wouldn't take us forward into the future," Mr Weeks said.
"So there'd been a fair bit of work to make the case around that and wait for our turn, and it's just fantastic that that's now."
Baw Baw Shire Mayor Michael Leaney said the community was "overjoyed" by the announcement after advocating for a hospital for more than 10 years.
"I should congratulate all those community members who have been part of that long-term campaign to get this to happen," Cr Leaney said.
He said it was great the hospital would be built no matter the result of the November poll.
