LDK’s proposed Yarralumla Views aged care village in Canberra is facing some community opposition, with locals concerned about impacts on traffic and on nearby horse pastures.
The $143 million development is slated to contain 55 single-storey villas and townhouses with two or three bedrooms each, as well as four buildings up to five storeys high with a total of 261 one- and two-bedroom units, plus facilities.
As the site borders on blocks used for keeping horses, the ACT Equestrian Association has expressed worries that the horses could be disturbed by the construction equipment and increased lighting associated with the development, as well as by any contaminated materials that may be turned up during the construction process.
Additionally, the Weston Creek Community Council (WCCC) and Molonglo Valley Community Forum, two community groups in the area, are concerned that the site on busy Cotter Road could impact traffic flows.
LDK insists that impact on traffic will be minimal, as seniors drive less often than residents of a regular housing development would, and that light pollution would be minimal as the village would mostly power down early of an evening.
The proposal is currently before the National Capital Authority for approval, though public consultation is closed; if approved, LDK plans to purchase the 5.4-hectare site and begin construction early next year.
The operator, headed by private aged care pioneer Paul Browne, is gearing up for a national expansion plan, and has already opened its $270 million Greenway Views development in Canberra.
