Tapping into the gov’s bank
A not-for-profit provider has teamed up with the Victorian government to deliver a new residential aged care facility in South Melbourne.
Above: Victorian Minister for Health, David Davis, with directors of Claremont SouthPort Aged Care Ltd, Lyn Allison and Peter Manger, inspecting an old classroom in the former St Vincent’s Boys Home.
An agreement between the Victorian government and two not-for-profit aged care providers will see a new residential aged care facility built in South Melbourne.
Claremont Home and SouthPort Community Residential Home plan to develop the facility on the historical, former site of St Vincent’s Boys Orphanage.
The Victorian Minister for Health and Ageing, David Davis, said the agreement recognises the growing demand for more aged care facilities in inner Melbourne.
The Aged Care Land Bank program provides not-for-profit providers with prospective residential aged care development sites for sale or lease, at concessional prices.
The initiative was established by the Victorian government to provide residential aged care providers with an incentive to develop facilities in Melbourne’s inner and middle ring suburbs in an atmosphere of high land prices.
“As part of the Aged Care Land Bank initiative, the Victorian government has signed a long-term lease, giving Claremont and SouthPort Aged Care the go ahead to develop the prime South Melbourne site into a new aged care facility,” Mr Davis said.
“This agreement will ensure older people living in South Melbourne will have access to modern, residential aged care facilities, close to family and friends in their local community.”
Mr Davis said the Victorian government will continue to expand the Aged Care Land Bank to address the shortage of residential aged care facilities in inner-suburban areas.
“The Victorian Coalition government committed a further $2 million boost in the 2011 State Budget for the Aged Care Land Bank to retain even more land for future aged care facilities,” he said.
The City of Port Phillip will also contribute $3 million to help establish the new facility.
The former St Vincent’s Boys’ Orphanage is one of the oldest remaining orphanage buildings in Victoria and therefore the main building will not form part of the new aged care facility.
