An $82 million La Trobe Health Clinic at the university’s Bundoora campus has opened, expanding access to allied health services, teaching resources, and boosting intake as well as housing a new audiology clinical service.
The clinic provides affordable, student-led allied health services including audiology, speech pathology, dietetics, physiotherapy, psychology, orthoptics, occupational therapy, and podiatry to patients in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
The university said this would give students hands on experience in a real-world healthcare environment under clinical supervision.
It would also help address Australia’s continuing health workforce shortage.
Once fully operational from 15 June, the La Trobe Health Clinic will help train an additional 400 allied health professionals each year from 2026, contributing to the university’s goal of graduating 5000 additional healthcare professionals by 2030.
The clinic, which was officially opened by Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and Deputy Victorian Premier Ben Carroll on 11 June 2026, will be the largest multidisciplinary university clinic in Victoria. It is part of La Trobe’s $170 million investment in health innovation statewide.
A La Trobe University spokesperson said the building would house a new audiology clinical service and an expanded speech pathology clinic service, led by students under supervision, that would provide an expanded range of speech pathology clinical services.
“The intention of both clinical services is to expand the opportunities for students to undertake clinical placements, enabling La Trobe to enrol additional students into both courses,” she said.
The clinic building and, from left, La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and La Trobe University Chancellor John Brumby. Image: La Trobe University.
Audiology clinic services
Senior audiology lecturer, and an Audiology Australia board director, Dr Emma Laird told HPA: “We are so privileged to be setting up a clinic with full audiology services across diagnostic, rehabilitation and vestibular specialties..
“There are niche areas, such as vestibular or electrophysiology, where students have had limited external placement opportunities. Having these services in the new clinic will allow our students to broaden their experience and enhance their skills as graduates.”
Laird said the low-cost service model would open the door for people to access healthcare who may otherwise find services prohibitive.
“Additionally, we are starting to build relationships with other service providers to help reduce wait times and improve timely, high-quality access to care for the community,” she said.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our academic staff and clinical educators to develop a seamless educational experience for our students. We can directly see what they learn being applied in public-facing clinical services.”
Vice‑Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said the new facility reflected a response to community need and national workforce pressures.
“Australia is facing a serious shortage of health professionals and universities have a responsibility to be part of the solution,” Professor Farrell said in a statement.
“This new clinical teaching building brings together high‑quality education and affordable health services, delivering immediate benefits for communities in Melbourne’s north while preparing more job‑ready health professionals for the future.”
Prof Farrell said La Trobe’s investment in health infrastructure was designed to deliver long‑term impact beyond the campus.
“By embedding clinical training within a working health service, we are giving students the confidence and practical experience they need to enter the workforce, while also improving access to care for people who need it most.”
The new facility is also a key element of La Trobe University City, a major long-term development to transform the 235-hectare Bundoora campus into a vibrant city.
Fourth-year podiatry student Daniel Raiter moved from Perth to study at La Trobe. He has been working with patients since the second year of his studies and said La Trobe was known for its hands-on teaching, which would now be expanded in the new health clinic.
“Not only do we learn in the classroom, but in the clinic, we get exposed to a far larger array of things,” he said. “For me, the best part of podiatry is being able to integrate a social environment with helping people. Being able to make a difference in someone’s life is amazing.”
Tamanah Rahim is also in her final year, completing her Bachelor of Orthoptics (Honours). She chose La Trobe because of its strong reputation in allied health and hands-on clinical experience.
Rahim said the clinic would be an incredible opportunity for future students because it provides a modern, professional and collaborative healthcare environment to learn in.
“This valuable initiative reflects how much La Trobe values both student learning and community healthcare,” Rahim said.
Infrastructure developer Plenary Group developed and financed the clinic.
Watch the launch video.
