New Wangaratta nursing home open for Christmas

FROM THE MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES
DATE: Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Aged care services in Wangaratta could get an early Christmas present with Northeast Health’s new, 62-bed nursing home set to be completed in November.

Community Services Minister Gavin Jennings today inspected work on the $11 million project being built on a two hectare greenfield site in College Street, Wangaratta.

“This 12-month project was due to be completed in late December,” Mr Jennings said.

“However, the there is now a good prospect that it will be completed in late November, allowing the residents to move in before Christmas.”

Mr Jennings said the new development contained a number of environmentally-friendly initiatives.

“Large water saving measures will be a feature of this new nursing home,” he said.

“Three underground tanks will store 315,000 litres of roof rain water for use on the garden and for flushing toilets.”

Mr Jennings said local road improvements, including a turning lane, additional curb and guttering, would assist residents, their families and visitors to enter the residential site.

He congratulated the Roman Catholic Trust of Sandhurst Diocese for providing the land to the Department of Human Services under a long-term lease.

“Because the project did not need to purchase land, that funding was invested in two more respite beds for the nursing home,” Mr Jennings said.

Mr Jennings said the Bracks Government had invested $424.1 million to redevelop 45 public sector residential aged care services. Of these, 42 services are in country Victoria.

“All this investment has one aim: to provide better care for older Victorians, wherever they live,” he said.

Upper House Member for Northern Victoria, Kaye Darveniza said Northeast Health Wangaratta also provided other aged care services, including Extended Aged Care in the Home packages and Community Aged Care packages.

“This project will provide Northeast Health with a residential aged care service to complement the wide range of health, rehabilitation and community-based support now provided,” she said.

“With an ageing population, particularly in country Victoria, Wangaratta’s new nursing home will help meet future demand for quality care for older Victorians.”