Photography by Peter Benetts

Delivering secure, recovery-focused mental health environments at Victoria’s largest hospital development

The New Footscray Hospital is one of the largest health infrastructure developments in Victoria, replacing a 1950s facility to meet the demands of one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions. Opened in February 2026, the $1.5 billion hospital delivers 504 inpatient beds across acute, critical care, sub-acute, mental health, and drug and alcohol services.

Serving Melbourne’s rapidly expanding western suburbs, the hospital significantly increases healthcare capacity, including specialised mental health services designed to support a growing and diverse community.

Challenge

Melbourne’s western suburbs are forecast to account for 21% of Victoria’s population growth, with overall population expected to increase by 60% over the next two decades. Demand for mental health and drug and alcohol services has historically outpaced available infrastructure, a gap highlighted by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

The new Footscray Hospital needed to deliver a step-change in mental health capacity while supporting Western Health’s expanded role as a designated Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.

Within the inpatient mental health precinct, the challenge extended beyond capacity. The environment needed to balance clinical safety, durability, and risk mitigation with a non-institutional, therapeutic setting aligned to recovery-focused care. Fixtures and fittings, including tapware and sanitaryware, were critical to achieving this balance.

Solution

The 50-bed secure mental health inpatient precinct and 15-bed drug and alcohol unit were designed as clinically secure environments, where every element contributes to patient safety and wellbeing.

The design reflects the principle of normalisation, creating calm, light-filled spaces that reduce institutional cues and support recovery. This approach required carefully specified products that minimise ligature risk while maintaining a residential aesthetic.

Specified Solution

• GalvinCare^® ligature-resistant tapware
• Wallgate solid-surface sanitaryware

Together, these solutions deliver a coordinated approach to risk management in secure wet areas, supported by a single supplier with technical expertise and local capability.

Key Features & Benefits

• Ligature-resistant design supporting patient safety in high-risk environments
• Durable, tamper-resistant materials suited to sustained misuse
• Non-institutional appearance aligned with normalisation principles
• Integrated tapware and sanitaryware solution for simplified specification
• Maintainability for facility teams operating in live clinical settings

GalvinCare^® tapware is Australian Made certified and specifically engineered for mental health, forensic and secure healthcare environments, while Wallgate sanitaryware provides a robust, non-institutional solution widely specified in high-risk settings.

Delivery

Delivery of the New Footscray Hospital presented additional complexity when the hydraulic contractor entered liquidation during construction. Planet Plumbing Group assumed responsibility for completing the hydraulic works within a live, high-profile project environment.

Galvin’s Victorian specification and sales team supported continuity through this transition, providing product guidance, installation documentation, and on-site support. Despite the disruption, the specification integrity and installation programme were maintained.

Outcome

The New Footscray Hospital opened to patients on 18 February 2026, delivering a significant expansion of mental health and drug and alcohol services in Melbourne’s west.

The secure mental health precinct is now fully operational, providing purpose-built environments that support both clinical safety and patient recovery. The specified tapware and sanitaryware are performing as intended in a demanding clinical setting.

For specifiers, hydraulic consultants, and facility managers, the project demonstrates:

• Proven performance in secure mental health environments
• Successful delivery within a complex, large-scale hospital project
• Reliable local support through construction and beyond

This project stands as a current, large-scale reference for healthcare environments requiring ligature-resistant, durable, and design-sensitive tapware and bathroom fixtures.

Key Data

Products Installed