The $13 million aged care facility proposed for the site of Wirksworth House (eight kilometres east of Hobart CBD – pictured) has been approved by Clarence City Council.
However community advocacy group Friends of Wirksworth says it is now considering appealing the Council’s decision.
As we reported here, Housing Tasmania submitted a development application for the facility in February of this year to provide affordable accommodation for 50 older Tasmanians.
The proposed new aged care buildings will feature 16 high-care residential rooms, 24 general-care residential rooms and 10 independent living units – and Housing Tasmania assured Friends of Wirksworth and other concerned parties that the existing site “would be preserved in accordance with Heritage Council regulations”.
But a spokesperson for Friends of Wirksworth, Jim Lockley, told The Mercury that the development would cover an inundation area (which is subject to flooding) and involve the importing of rock fill to divert stormwater away from the development towards neighbouring properties – as well as removing 65 “mature, heritage landscape trees”.
TasCOSS, Shelter Tas and Council on the Ageing Tasmania have all welcomed the development.
