SYDNEY, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Victoria state on Wednesday announced the setting up of an international robotics surgery training facility in its capital Melbourne, touted as the first of its kind to tap advanced technology for treating minimally invasive operations.

"This cutting-edge facility will usher in a new age of surgery that will change the lives of patients from around the world," the state's Health Minister Jill Hennessy said in a statement.

"We're putting Victoria at the forefront of the highest standards of surgical training. The world's brightest medical minds will travel here from all over the world to learn new skills."

The facility, with a funding of two million Australian dollars (1.45 million U.S. dollars), will train surgeons to operate with robots on "hard-to-reach and small internal spaces," according to the ministry.

Robotics surgery is mainly used to treat prostate cancer, but it has also played a key role in gynecological procedures and ear, nose and throat operations with greater precision and accuracy to better target cancers and boost patient survival rates.

Other benefits touted include lower risks of infection, shorter hospital stays, faster recoveries and quicker returns to work.

The new center, set to be completed by the end of next year, will feature "world-class virtual reality surgical simulators" for local and international surgeons to build their skills before live surgery. Similar to airline pilot training, the simulators will provide feedback on errors and the efficiency of surgeon movements.