Building work will start on the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese’s new 80-bed aged care facility in Punchbowl, 17km west of the Sydney CBD.

A Blessing and sod-turning ceremony led by Greek Orthodox Archbishop Basilios, Primate of Australia, New Zealand and the Phillipines, was attended by the NSW Multiculturalism Minister, Geoff Lee, local MPs and Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour.

“Aged care is especially important now. By 2031, 25% of the population will be over the age of 60. Aged care is becoming increasingly difficult. When we see the reports of the royal commission into aged care, we see that new facilities and good facilities are required, and especially for the Antiochian community, a long-standing established community, your parishes, and your people are getting older and they will require those aged care facilities, especially if they are catering for the cultural-specific requirements that older people have,” said Mr Lee.

“As people get older, they tend to revert to their own native language that they speak or eat the same food or associate with the same people. So, I think this facility fills a vital hole. Hopefully, it will not be the last one. Hopefully, you will continue. Start at 80 and then we look forward to seeing you growing your aged care facilities because in the future we are going to need far more aged care whether people stay at home or come into a centre like this.”

The residential aged care facility will be built adjacent to St Nicholas Church, Punchbowl. Deicorp is the project manager and builder.