Ryman Healthcare has put its site in Mount Martha, 68km south of Melbourne’s CBD, up for sale after trying for almost five years to build a $95 million retirement village and aged care home.
Ryman Healthcare has put the 1.9ha site on the market. It was proposed to be a three-storey aged care development with 70 independent living apartments, 37 assisted living suites and 116 aged care rooms. In addition, there was to be an indoor pool, hair and beauty salons, a bowling green, and a movie theatre.
However, it was rejected by Mornington Peninsula Shire on the grounds it was “excessive” and detracted from the neighbourhood’s character. The decision was upheld by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in December, 2020.
Ryman Healthcare’s Victorian Sales and Community Relations Manager Debra Richardson said the decision to walk away from the plan was “disappointing” for the company.
“We purchased the property almost five years ago and were incredibly excited at the prospect of providing the Mount Martha community with a world-class retirement living and aged care facility,” she said.
“Unfortunately, local decision makers have not shared that excitement.
“While the demand for high-quality aged care in the area is acute and growing, the planning pathway towards making the village a reality has become increasingly fraught and uncertain, and the project is no longer viable.”
Ryman Healthcare has eight development projects underway and in May announced its biggest project in Australia.
