Not For Profit seeks green light for retirement living project
- New venture: NoosaCare enters retirement living after 40 years in aged care
- Continuum of care: 40 homes proposed alongside Carramar aged care
- Wellness-led design: Pool, gym, steam room and cinema planned
- Ageing in place: Residents can access support without relocating
A long-standing aged care operator is set to enter the retirement living sector, with plans for a new development moving ahead.
In March this year, The Weekly SOURCE reported Queensland Sunshine Coast-based NoosaCare was planning its first foray into providing independent living for retirees.
Now NoosaCare CEO Grant Simpson has submitted a development application to Noosa Council to build a retirement living precinct adjacent to its existing Carramar aged care facility in the town of Tewantin.
The development is for 37 two- and three-bedroom residences, three townhouses, community facilities and 11 one-bedroom rooms for on-site staff.
Grant said the proposal would create a connected community designed to support residents as their care needs change over time.
“As a community-based aged care provider for the past 40 years, this is an important step forward as we seek to create a connected and contemporary retirement living community with a strong focus on wellness and connection,” he said.
“Our plan creates a much-needed co-location link between our aged care facility at Carramar and those entering the retirement phase of life to ensure each residents’ future health needs are met without the need to relocate.”
The proposed development would allow residents to access clinical and lifestyle services on the same site while remaining in independent living accommodation for as long as possible.
The retirement village would also include a range of indoor and outdoor facilities, including recreation areas, a swimming pool, steam room, gymnasium and cinema.
According to NoosaCare, the residences will be built to the Liveable Housing Design Guidelines Gold Standard, featuring step-free access, spacious layouts and accessible kitchens and bathrooms.
Grant said the organisation had acquired five properties to create a suitable development footprint and had undertaken extensive consultation with neighbours and stakeholders during the planning process.
The proposed retirement village, which would remain under NoosaCare’s Not For Profit structure and be governed by the NoosaCare Board, is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete, if approved.
Listings website villages.com.au lists 136 retirement living sites on the Sunshine Coast.
