La Trobe University is addressing Australia’s chronic health workforce shortage head-on, investing $82 million into a new state-of-the-art clinical teaching building at its Bundoora campus.
Set to open in July 2026, the facility will be Victoria’s largest interdisciplinary university clinic, offering students real-world training while providing much-needed, cost-effective healthcare to the public.
The new centre will allow La Trobe to train an additional 400 allied health professionals each year, including in-demand roles like physiotherapists, psychologists, audiologists and dietitians.
It will also operate as a fully functioning clinic open to the public, giving students hands-on experience while alleviating pressure on the health care system.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said the investment will benefit both students and the wider community.
“La Trobe is making a significant investment in health teaching, research and infrastructure across key areas of need, helping address Australia’s serious health workforce crisis,” Professor Farrell said.
La Trobe speech pathology student Margie Eldershaw,said the development couldn’t come at a better time.
“We had 30 students in my cohort and next year it’s going to be 80 just in the masters,” Ms Eldershaw said.
“They needed to accommodate for the massive influx. There were 800 applicants for the course and the university took on 80, so it’s great timing.”
She said the university’s existing clinical teaching already offers strong support.
“Getting that training before placement makes full-time work less daunting. Mixing uni and placement helps ease you into the real world,” she said.
Ms Eldershaw has already secured a job through her placement, along with several classmates.
“It shows how desperately places are snatching graduates up,” Ms Eldershaw said.
