Not For Profit spends $15.9M to honour takeover commitment
- $16m investment: Respect starts 20 new retirement living units at Kyneton
- Promise delivered: Heritage-listed J G Bolton Hall to be fully restored
- Regional focus: Project replaces ageing homes with modern independent living
- Completion: New village finished by September 2027
When Respect took over RM Begg care community in Kyneton, a town in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges, in June 2023, the Not For Profit made a commitment to the community and the former RM Begg Board.
Respect committed to rebuild the ageing, poorly maintained retirement living units and restore the heritage-listed J G Bolton Hall.
Now Respect has announced it is investing $15.19 million to add 20 new Independent Living Units and undertaking a full restoration of the Hall.
Construction began this month on the retirement village, which will be delivered in two stages. The first 16 units are expected to be completed by early March 2027, followed by the remaining four in September 2027.
The new development will be located across the road from the RM Begg aged care facility, bringing Respect’s total retirement living offering in Kyneton to 32 units across both sites, including 20 units in the new development and 12 units on the existing facility site.
The new units will comprise 15 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom units of varying sizes, replacing ageing, poorly maintained flats that were decommissioned to make way for the new development.
Bolton Hall’s heritage features are also being restored in line with the project’s planning permit, with works expected to be completed by February 2027.
Respect CEO and Managing Director Jason Binder said the development helps address the supply of fit-for-purpose housing for older people in regional communities.
“This project responds to that need while also restoring and future-proofing a community asset that has served the Kyneton community for many years. Regional communities shouldn’t have to settle for ageing infrastructure,” Jason said.
“As a Not For Profit organisation, we’re committed to ensuring older people in regional and rural communities have access to the care and services they deserve, in the communities they’ve helped build and call home.”
The project is fully funded by Respect and forms part of the ongoing strategy to modernise its communities across regional and rural Australia.
In February, Respect announced a $7.12 million two-stage refurbishment of Hudson House in Cooma, 155km south of Canberra, aided by a $5 million Commonwealth Government grant.
