New Footscray Hospital project delivers record social procurement, First Nations and community benefit outcomes

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – The $1.5 billion new Footscray Hospital has set a new benchmark for social procurement, workforce inclusion and community benefits in Victorian infrastructure.

The Plenary Health consortium that delivered the project under a public-private partnership exceeded every contracted target, including:

Social procurement outcomes:

• $52 million procured through registered social benefit suppliers against a $28 million target
• $42 million procured with registered Victorian Aboriginal Businesses – nearly double the $22 million target
• 160,000+ hours worked by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples against a target of 120,000 hours
• 313,000 hours worked by disadvantaged Victorians against a target of 63,000 hours
• 173,000+ hours worked by Victorians living with a disability against a target of 61,000 hours

Local Jobs First Policy outcomes:

• 92% local content procured across design, construction and furniture, fixtures and equipment against an original contracted 90.8%
• 750,000 or 13% of hours worked by apprentices, trainees and cadets against a target of 608,000 hours or 10.5%

The project also achieved 760,000 hours worked by female employees against a target of 240,000 hours.

Central to the project’s strong workforce outcomes was a dedicated employment hub, the Footscray Connectivity Centre, established by Plenary Health, head contractor Multiplex, Victoria University Polytechnic Skills and Jobs Centre, and Apprenticeships Victoria.

The centre screened more than 200 candidates, made 80 direct employment referrals and placed 29 First Nations, disabled or disadvantaged jobseekers directly into project roles. A further 45 people were helped into training and employment opportunities.

Project outcomes extended beyond the hospital site, with more than $680,000 spent on community benefit programs and initiatives, including highlight partnerships with:

• Western Health Foundation, funding postgraduate ICU nursing scholarships, research awards for clinical staff, and fundraising event support
• Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, supporting its Youth Leadership Project, a leadership development program for local young people; and
• The Youth Junction, supporting its Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma program, enabling the organisation to reach an additional 60 young people per year.

Kinaway Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce Acting CEO Alex Martins said the project demonstrated what is possible when Aboriginal businesses are embedded into workforce and procurement planning from the very beginning.

“Six years ago, we sat down with the Plenary team to discuss their ambition to create meaningful outcomes for Victorian Aboriginal-owned businesses and communities. Plenary has delivered on that commitment. Through this project, Kinaway-certified businesses such as FAT Comms, A2B Personnel and many others have been able to access real procurement and employment opportunities. The outcomes have gone well beyond what we first hoped for, and it shows the impact that can be achieved when Aboriginal participation is built into major projects before the shovels hit the ground,” Mr Martins said.

Managing Director of FAT Comms – a Victorian Aboriginal-owned data and electrical equipment and services provider – William Lancaster said being afforded the opportunity work on such a complex project allowed his business to upskill and grow.

“This isn’t just a tick a box contract. I’m really proud that our team earned our appointment and was able to deliver an expanding range of works on such a great project. It’s fantastic to show that an Indigenous business is delivering on a highly complex, highly detailed scope of work that is having a real impact in the delivery of the hospital,” Mr Lancaster said.

Plenary Health New Footscray Hospital Project outgoing Chair Kelvyn Lavelle said the social procurement and workforce outcomes reflected Plenary’s commitment to leaving a legacy for Melbourne’s west.

“We knew success was going to be measured in more than just delivering a hospital. It was always about how this massive investment would benefit people. We were focused on delivering a beautiful, functional hospital and lively surrounding precinct, but doing it in a way that provided opportunities in employment, training, upskilling and procuring from local people, businesses and organisations,” Mr Lavelle said.

Multiplex Regional Managing Director Ross Snowball said the results went beyond hitting targets.

“The team is rapt to see their hard work pay off in exceeding our social procurement targets, but more so seeing the genuine impact that it’s having on people’s lives and careers. This social procurement model is being used on other Multiplex projects after the successful delivery of the new Footscray Hospital. We are proud to be industry leaders in this space,” Mr Snowball said.

The Victorian Government contracted the Plenary Health consortium – comprising Plenary Group, Multiplex, Honeywell and Compass Group – to finance, design, construct and now maintain for 25 years the new Footscray Hospital in partnership with Western Health.

Delivered on time and on budget in 2025, the hospital is now supporting capacity for up to an additional 15,000 patients and 20,000 emergency department presentations each year.