Emergencies in Melbourne

Good to Know

• Save 000 as your main emergency contact everywhere in Australia, including Melbourne — it works nationwide, not just locally.
• Downloading the Emergency+ app before you need it is a good idea, since it can automatically give the 000 operator your GPS coordinates if you're unsure of your exact location.
• If you're in Melbourne or Victoria during bushfire, storm, or flood season, the VicEmergency app is worth installing for real-time official warnings for your area.
• 911 does not work in Australia — dial 000 (or 112 from a mobile) instead.
• For non-urgent police matters like a theft that already happened, use 131 444 rather than tying up the 000 line.
• For any life-threatening emergency in Melbourne, call 000 for ambulance, police, or fire — this is Australia's single national emergency number.
• Royal Melbourne Hospital and The Alfred are the city's two adult Major Trauma Centres, so the most severe injuries (major car accidents, serious falls, etc.) are typically routed there by ambulance regardless of which hospital is closest.
• Public hospital emergency departments bulk-bill Medicare-eligible patients, but nomads/tourists without Medicare or a reciprocal healthcare agreement (Australia has agreements with a number of countries, e.g. UK, NZ, several EU nations) should expect to be billed and should carry travel health insurance.
• Wait times at these major public EDs can be long for non-critical issues since triage prioritizes the most urgent cases first; for minor injuries or illnesses, an urgent care/priority primary care centre or the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) is often faster.