The planned 30-bed aged care home in Maffra, in Victoria's Gippsland region 220km east of Melbourne, will cost the State Government $69.7 million to build.
The new home will replace an existing 30-bed home, meaning the Victorian Government's massive $2.3 million per bed investment – nearly five times the $500,000 estimated cost per bed for Not For Profits and For Frofits to build – will add no new aged care beds to the sector.
The new home will be operated by Central Gippsland Health, and will replace the existing JHF McDonald Wing and Residential Aged Care Wing at Maffra District Hospital, which has recently been renovated and refurbished.
The new designs reveal the home will include private bedrooms with ensuites, smaller household-style living areas, community and reflection rooms, and landscaped gardens.
The Victorian Health Building Authority is in the process of appointing a builder while the architects are Hames-Sharley and Bamford Architects. Construction is due to be completed by September 2028.
In its 2024-25 Budget, the Victorian Government allocated $162 million towards the Regional and Rural Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services Revitalisation Strategy, including $69.7 million for the Maffra project, plus $38.2 million to build a 24-bed co-located facility at Cohuna District Hospital and $54.3 million for a 36-bed facility at Numurkah Hospital campus.
