IRT turns first sod 18 months after Govt aged care grant
As up to 150 patients in NSW's Illawarra hospitals wait for residential aged care, Not For Profit IRT's refurbishment will deliver much-needed new beds – but not until 2027.
IRT has commenced refurbishment of its Marco Polo Unanderra Residential Care Centre, 100km south of Sydney, with the project set to deliver 48 new aged care beds in early 2027.
$15.8M ACCAP grant
IRT received a $15.8 million grant from the Federal Government under the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program (ACCAP) in September 2024 to revitalise the facility.
The funding will enable the operator to reopen previously closed buildings and improve the quality of the residential aged care on offer.
Stage one will include the fit-out of the currently unoccupied St Johns and St Lukes wings, delivering 48 new aged care beds. Communal spaces, services, kitchen and laundry facilities will also be upgraded. SHAPE will undertake the refurbishment.
Stage two, self-funded by IRT, will include the refurbishment of Cordeaux Lodge and will be built concurrently with stage one to fast-track completion. No new beds will be added to Cordeaux Lodge.
The Marco Polo Development Application was approved following modifications by Wollongong City Council.
200 new aged care beds within a decade
IRT has committed to delivering 200 new aged care beds across Greater Western Sydney, the Illawarra and the NSW South Coast within a decade. Approximately 800 independent living units (ILUs) have also been promised, making a total 1,000 new homes for older members of the community.
Aged care bed shortages in the region are putting a huge strain on local hospitals, lengthening hospital stays for older patients and reducing capacity for acute admissions. Estimates put the cost at $86 million annually.
IRT CEO Ross Gallagher said the refurbishment “will help address the ongoing pressure on local hospitals by enabling older patients who no longer require acute care to transition into residential care homes more quickly.”
IRT acquired the Marco Polo facility in 2023.
