Opal HealthCare, which owns and operates 94 residential aged care communities in metropolitan and regional areas in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia, is using the new development application pathway in NSW.
Opal HealthCare is bypassing the local Council by declaring the following three proposals as State Significant Developments (SSDs):
- Opal HealthCare St Ives, 18km north of Sydney’s CBD: 145 residential care beds including single rooms and suites across 3 storeys.
- Opal HealthCare Bella Vista, 33km northeast of Sydney’s CBD: 135 residential care beds, including a high care and memory care wing.
- Opal HealthCare Narwee Parklands, 18km south of Sydney’s CBD: A vacant site for a new three-storey residential care facility (RCF) with 165 beds.
It has also withdrawn a secretary’s environmental assessment requirements (SEARs) application to build a RAC facility at the Swane’s Nursery site in Carlingford, 22km northwest of Sydney’s CBD. It had earlier announced the $45 million development included 160 beds across 148 units, including 142 high-care beds and 18 for residents living with dementia.
Palm Lake Group is planning to build a new two-storey residential aged care facility of 120 beds near its existing Palm Lake Resort’s Forster Lakes land lease community in the NSW Mid North Coast.
Arcare is proposing to build a new 96-bed aged care facility Arcare Huntlee (pictured) in Branxton, in the NSW Hunter Valley, adjacent and connected to Green Ridge Hunter Valley retirement village under construction.
North Ryde RSL has lodged a SEARs application to move the existing club within TG Millner fields to build a 670-bed residential care facility. Ryde Council has written to NSW Government to compulsory acquire the site as a green space in perpetuity.
There are a number of co-located proposals before the NSW Government, with the most advanced being HammondCare’s proposal to demolish the existing Neringah Hospital in Wahroonga, 18km northwest of Sydney’s CBD, for two four to five-storey buildings with 57 independent living units, 12 aged care beds, and 18 palliative care beds. It is at Stage 6 of 8.
The other co-located plans using the SSD pathway are:
Montefiore, Randwick: Existing structures to be demolished for a five-storey building of 35 independent living units, 12 residential aged care beds, ground level retail and basement car park.
Uniting NSW.ACT, Charlestown: Construction of a residential aged care facility building; two buildings with independent living units;
Uniting NSW.ACT War Memorial Hospital Waverley (pictured above): residential aged care facility of 114 rooms, 230 independent living units, and adaptive reuse of existing heritage buildings on site;
Uniting NSW.ACT Kingscliff: $200 million masterplan to add to existing site;
Uniting NSW.ACT Yagoona: residential care facility and independent living units with shared community facilities;
BaptistCare NSW & ACT, Carlingford: Independent living units, residential aged care facilities and a respite day care centre;
BaptistCare NSW & ACT, Macquarie Park: Demolition of two existing senior living developments and construction of a vertical village including residential care facility and independent living units.
Abel Tasman Village, Chester Hill: Redevelopment of existing village for five buildings - Building A (39 independent living units over six to seven storeys), Building B (residential care facility of 106 beds) and Building E (16 independent living units over four storeys);
Tricare Hastings Point: Seniors living development of 10 buildings, 91 independent living units, 74 supported living units and a 44-bed residential care facility;
Ariadne Australia, Redfern: 14-storey mixed-use building including a residential care facility and independent living units, hospital, medical centre and medical research facility; and
Corio Projects, Rosebery: Demolish existing structures to construct a residential aged care facility and independent living units.
The SOURCE: While encouraging, most of these projects will not be approved for at least a minimum of three years if at all.