Construction activity came to a halt on December 20 as part of the Christmas/New Year holiday period.

Two-thirds of the 130,000 tonne of soil ear-marked for removal has now been cleared from the site.

The foundations for the construction of the multi-million dollar hospital structure can be seen across the site and the first slab on ground has been poured.

The slab will, in time, become the floor of the basement car park.

Precast walls are being installed and the first of four tower cranes will be erected in mid-January.

Work on the first suspended floor of the building will start next month.

Premier Denis Napthine assured Bendigo residents throughout 2013 the new hospital project was on track for delivery in 2016.

“This is a $630 million investment in the biggest and the best regional hospital anywhere in the southern hemisphere,” Dr Napthine said during a visit to Bendigo.

Dr Napthine has described the new hospital project as the most important project in Bendigo since the Gold Rush.

Dr Napthine said people had been working on site since the contract was signed on May 31.

"Right from that day forward there’s been people working on this project, working to make sure that we were delivering this $630 million project, delivering the best health services anywhere in regional Australia and indeed anywhere, I believe, in the regional southern hemisphere ... this is an iconic project for Bendigo and region," he said.

“We know that this project will deliver 372 beds, it will deliver 80 mental health beds.

“It will deliver a significant number of day-stay beds, 10 new operating theatres.

“It will be a real significant project in terms of the number of health services available, the quality of those health services and bringing new services that were previously only available in Melbourne and other capital cities here to Bendigo to service Bendigo and district.”

The Bendigo Advertiser is continuing to publish a series of profiles on some of the key players in the project.

So far we've caught up with Lend Lease's senior construction manager Lachlan Morrison, demolition expert Ken Hopley, hospital planner Aija Thomas, project manager Jessie Mackin, Central  Sterilising Services department nurse unit manager Ann Gallagher and project manager Emily Mudge.

Keep watch on our Hospital HQ for the next installment.