RLC lauds “essential infrastructure” developments

The retirement industry’s peak body says the fast-tracking of a senior living expansion development in North Adelaide has become the first ‘essential infrastructure’ project.

South Australia’s Department for Health and Wellbeing has endorsed the classification of Helping Hand as essential infrastructure for a proposed expansion at its existing North Adelaide retirement vilage and aged care home, under new provisions introduced through the state's Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.

Subject to approval as Crown development by the Minister for Planning, the project involves the staged delivery of more than 160 additional aged care beds and more than 70 independent living units, with completion of the first stage by the end of 2029.

“This is exactly the kind of project these reforms were meant to unlock,” said Retirement Living Council Executive Director Daniel Gannon.

“We argued for retirement living and aged care to be recognised as essential infrastructure because the previous system was too slow for the scale of demand we face for age-friendly homes.

“When the right projects move faster, older South Australians benefit and pressure on hospitals can start to ease.

“This is an important early signal that the pathway is working as intended, and that it can support more investment in the retirement living and aged care projects South Australia needs.”

Helping Hand will now proceed to submit a formal planning application to the State Minister for Planning.

Helping Hand CEO Chris Stewart said the Not For Profit “looks forward to engaging with our local stakeholders as we work through the planning process and bring this project to life, for the benefit of older South Australians and their families to access much needed aged care accommodation.”