Earthworks have commenced at Oryx Communities’ $50 million aged care home in the affluent Perth suburb of Nedlands, 7km west of the city centre.

Piling to construct the basement is scheduled to start next week, Oryx Communities Founder and Managing Director Toby Browne-Cooper told The SOURCE. 

The 80-bed home on Betty Street and Doonan Road is expected to be completed in Q2 2025. 

‘The Melvista’ will operate on the ‘small household’ architectural model that Oryx pioneered with The Richardson West Perth and The Queenslea Claremont, complemented by a person-centric care philosophy. 

Each ‘small household’ Oryx home typically has around one dozen bedroom suites centred around a shared kitchen, dining and living area, embracing the concept that the heart of every family home is the kitchen. Like other Oryx homes, The Melvista will include a Wellness and Rehabilitation Clinic, and 24/7 RN support.

“Building in Western Australia remains challenging but we will continue to work closely with EMCO Building to try to achieve our key milestones,” Toby told The SOURCE.

“There has been no aged care accommodation in the City of Nedlands located south of Stirling Highway, since the old Melvista Nursing Home, located adjacent to The Melvista, was decommissioned in July 2012. This new home replaces the service that was closed over a decade ago."

The SOURCE: The Federal Government’s new Residential Aged Care Accommodation Framework is widely expected to endorse the ‘small household’ model as best practice for residential care design when it is rolled out in 2024.