Wyndham is one of the fastest-growing communities in Victoria, with our population projected to exceed 500,000 people by 2040. Every year, thousands of new families choose Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing, Truganina, Wyndham Vale, Point Cook and Werribee as the place to build their future.
Yet despite this extraordinary growth, our region still relies primarily on one major public hospital, Werribee Mercy Hospital.
More than 340,000 residents currently depend on a single major public hospital. Even after new hospitals open in Melton and Footscray, Wyndham will continue to have one of the worst hospital-to-population ratios in Melbourne's west. The pressure is already being felt by local families.
Werribee Mercy Hospital is regularly among the busiest emergency departments in Victoria. Nearly half of emergency patients can wait longer than four hours for treatment. Residents from Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing and Truganina often face travel times of 25 to 45 minutes to reach emergency care during peak traffic periods.
Beyond the statistics are the real stories from local residents. Community members regularly share experiences of waiting 10 hours, 12 hours, and even 16 hours in emergency departments before receiving treatment or being admitted. These are not just numbers—they are families sitting in pain, worried parents caring for sick children, seniors waiting for urgent medical attention, and exhausted healthcare workers doing their best under immense pressure.
In a cardiac emergency, major accident, or serious illness involving a child, every minute matters.
Wyndham also faces a significant shortage of hospital beds. Victoria averages approximately 2.5 hospital beds per 1,000 residents, while Wyndham has less than one bed per 1,000 residents. To simply match the Victorian average, our community would need hundreds more hospital beds today. The challenge will only grow.
Our community has one of the highest proportions of young families in Victoria, creating increasing demand for maternity services, paediatric care, mental health support and emergency treatment. At the same time, our ageing population will require greater access to specialist and chronic disease services in the years ahead.
For too long, Wyndham residents have been forced to travel further, wait longer and compete for limited healthcare resources. Our growing community deserves better.
That is why we will campaign and strongly advocate for a new public hospital in Tarneit by 2030.
A Tarneit Hospital would provide faster access to emergency care, reduce pressure on existing hospitals, expand maternity and specialist services, create local jobs and support a modern health precinct for Melbourne's west. This is not just about Tarneit District. It is about ensuring families in neighbouring communities have access to the healthcare they need, close to home.
Our population has grown. Our community has grown. It is time for our healthcare infrastructure to grow too.
Join the campaign.
Together, we can make a Tarneit Hospital a reality by 2030.