The village operator will develop the historic Gold Creek Manor, located 13km north of the capital in Gungahlin, after a nationally advertised sale process.
As we reported here, the homestead was taken off the market in 2018 after plans to turn the site into a 160-bed aged care facility and 30 supportive housing beds was the subject of a campaign by the Gungahlin Community Council (GCC) and the National Trust.
The new sale ensured protection of the homestead, which dates back to 1860 and sits on a 4.8-hectare parcel of land.
Lendlease, which already owns and operates The Grove retirement village next to the homestead, has plans to develop the land into an “intergenerational precinct” including new independent living units and an aged care facility.
Lendlease Managing Director for Retirement Living, Nathan Cockerill (pictured inset) – who came into the role last November following Tony Randello’s departure to Aveo – said the decision by the ACT Government not to register the land as heritage was a vote of confidence in the company’s capability to develop the site.
“Our vision for this precinct is for it to be a place that encourages interaction between people of all ages and those living within and around the homestead,” he said.
“This will be a place where residents can enjoy the best years of their lives and be reassured that they will be supported and cared for – even if their needs change.”