The Victorian Government is spending $41.1 million in Cohuna, 274km north of Melbourne, to build a 24-bed aged care home. The $1.7 million per bed price tag is well in excess of the widely held estimation in the sector that a bed costs approximately $400,000 to $500,000 to build, The Weekly SOURCE reported last month.
We also reported the same State Government was spending $62.8 million in Mansfield, 180km northeast of Melbourne, to build a new 30-bed residential aged care home to replace Buckland House Nursing Home and to refurbish Bindaree Retirement Centre.
Minister for Health Infrastructure
Today, The Weekly SOURCE can reveal the Victorian Government is spending $45.3 million in Orbost, 375km east of Melbourne, to build a 38-bed facility at a cost of nearly $1.2 million per bed. Building has commenced.
The new home will replace Orbost Regional Health’s ageing Lochiel House and Waratah Lodge facilities.
The Orbost project is part of the State Government's $108.2 million Rural and Regional PSRAC Revitalisation Stage 1 to expand and refurbish public sector residential aged care facilities in Mansfield and Orbost.
The builder is SJ Higgins Group. The project is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority and is expected to be complete in late 2026.