$40M unlocks 23 new beds in two rural aged care rebuilds

After a decade in planning – and a significant setback when funding was pulled in 2023 – Whiddon’s long-awaited redevelopment of its Temora aged care home is finally moving forward.

The Australian Government has confirmed a new $40 million Aged Care Capital Assistance Program (ACCAP) funding injection to expand and upgrade two rural aged care homes: Whiddon’s Narraburra Lodge in Temora, NSW, and Walara Ardrossan Seaview home in South Australia's Yorke Peninsula.

The ACCAP was established by the Government with the aim of maintaining and increasing access to aged care in thin markets, with over $991 million made available over the four years to 30 June 2028. $300 million in funding was allocated to 66 infrastructure projects in September 2025.

Federal funding previously pulled

For Whiddon, the announcement marks the end of a long road.

After getting the green light for new beds in the 2016-17 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR), the Temora expansion first gained Federal backing in 2018 under the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund infrastructure projects.

But the project stalled in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic when costs escalated and then suffered a major blow in April 2023 when more than $3.6 million in previously committed Federal funding was withdrawn.

The provider pressed on, investing $3 million in early works to keep the project alive while continuing to lobby for a long-term solution – with its persistence finally paying off.

Temora’s only residential care provider

Under the new deal, the Government will provide $19.5 million toward Whiddon’s $25.6 million redevelopment of Narraburra Lodge, lifting capacity from 76 to 92 beds.

The project includes a new two-storey wing with 54 modern bedrooms and ensuites, upgraded clinical, kitchen and laundry facilities, outdoor spaces and on-site training rooms – an important upgrade for the Riverina town’s only residential aged care provider, with the closest alternative home over 70km away.

Whiddon CEO Chris Mamarelis said the funding was about more than buildings.

“This isn’t just bricks and mortar – it’s about ensuring older Australians in regional communities can access high-quality, dignified care close to home,” he said, acknowledging the continued advocacy required to bring the project back from the brink.

Construction is now scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026.

South Australia upgrade

The second project will see $20.6 million invested in South Australian with Not For Profit Walara Ardrossan Seaview aged care home, increasing capacity from 33 to 40 beds and replacing outdated shared rooms and bathrooms with private ensuited accommodation.

The rebuild will also remove the ageing connected hospital building, address asbestos and salt-damp issues, and add new communal areas.

Construction is due to commence in mid-2026, with completion expected by late 2027.

The announcement follows the merger of Ardrossan Seaview and Walara on 1 October 2025, following a unanimous vote by members of Ardrossan Community Hospital.

The merger brings Walara up to four sites – Ardrossan Seaview, Balaklava Millcourt, Gilbert Valley at Riverton, and Hamley Bridge – providing 160 aged care beds and 69 independent living units, with plans to introduce Home Care Packages in 2026.

The capital question

As reported in The Weekly SOURCE, four in five applications for capital funding were rejected in the latest round of the ACCAP.

With beds now closing faster than they open, this announcement is a welcome one – but also a reminder of the difficulty in getting new facilities across the line.