What’s the price tag on Victoria’s latest aged care home?
Public aged care build completed
- $45M Orbost home completed: Victoria has opened a 38-bed public aged care home
- Construction costs far exceed private sector: Cost equates to $1.2M per bed
- Mansfield project $1.5M per bed: Another recent facility carried similarly high price
- Private operator builds lower cost: Arcare proposed development costed at $246K per bed
The Victorian Government continues to build new aged care beds, but at a cost far exceeding that of private sector providers.
The State Government has completed the $45.36 million, 38-bed residential aged care home at Orbost in the Gippsland region or a cost of $1.2 million per bed.
To be operated by Orbost Regional Health under the new name Snowy River Views Residential Care, the purpose-built home replaces former aged care homes Lochiel House and Waratah Lodge. The facility features single bedrooms with ensuites, with flexible shared spaces.
The dementia-friendly design is by ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects while the builders were SJ Higgins.
The project is part of the Victorian Government’s Rural and Regional Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services Revitalisation strategy, which builds new or transforms existing aged care homes to better meet community expectations and promote residents' independence, dignity and mental health.
In March, the Victorian Government completed the $62.8 million, 42-bed Mansfield aged care facility, nearly 200km north of Melbourne or a cost of $1.5 million per bed.
At around the same time, residential aged care provider Arcare, which is owned by family-run property developer Knowles Group, lodged plans for a $32.5 million, 132-bed aged care home at Berwick, 41km southeast of the Melbourne CBD.
The application puts the cost to build at $246,000 per bed (discounting land) or nearly one-fifth the construction cost of Orbost.
Victoria has more than 170 public aged care facilities, more than any other state.
