Lake land search for aged care

12 Jun, 2012 04:00 AM
Lake Macquarie City Council is planning to pinpoint land suitable for aged-care and affordable housing in a bid to meet the needs of the ageing population.
The council will consider preparing options to secure sites for those purposes, a draft seniors housing strategy said.
Councillors will consider the strategy tonight.
It follows a Newcastle Herald report last Friday of a ‘‘drastic shortage’’ of retirement and aged-care homes in the Hunter, with figures showing only 20per cent of demand was being met.
Lake Macquarie council’s strategy includes calling for public comment on a plan to increase ‘‘adaptable housing’’, which refers to dwellings that can be altered easily to suit disabled people.
The council’s proposal is to increase the rate of adaptable housing in apartment blocks and multi-dwelling developments from 10per cent now to 15per cent in 2013-14 and 20per cent in 2016-17.
Former Lake Macquarie deputy mayor Rob O’Brien raised concerns at the council about a lack of housing for seniors more than five years ago.
The council released its Lake Macquarie Ageing Population Plan in 2008, which found there were insufficient housing options for older people.
The plan raised some of the same options the council’s new draft strategy has proposed now.
Mr O’Brien, a real estate agent, said he was concerned the strategy would not have enough flexibility.
‘‘Rather than letting the market help shape local government planning policies, councils try to shape the market and that will never work,’’ Mr O’Brien said.
‘‘It’s fine for council staff to have a planning philosophy and say ‘this is where people have to go’, but does the market want that?’’
The council report said it had consulted ‘‘members of the development industry involved in the construction of seniors’ housing’’.
It further recommended meetings with industry groups to increase housing options for ‘‘low-income seniors’’.
The report estimated a quarter of the Lake Macquarie population would be aged 65 and over by 2022, up from 17per cent in 2006.