DIGGING ... OneCare chairman Jeff Briscoe, left, and Premier Paul Lennon turn the first sods on OneCare's $65 million aged care development in Glenorchy. By Meryl Naidoo
GLENORCHY, Tasmania (Mercury), November 14, 2007:
WORK began on Tasmania's largest single aged-care development for migrants after a sod-turning ceremony in Glenorchy yesterday. The Tolosa St development, worth $65 million, is by OneCare Ltd.
OneCare Chairman Jeff Briscoe said population trends would require significant provision of aged-care accommodation for the migrant populations of the Glenorchy municipality. He said research showed Glenorchy had the widest range of cultural and linguistically diverse groups in the state.
The project includes 100 independent-living units, a building housing 96 aged-care beds and a 32-bed step-down unit (for a level of care less than critical) and dementia respite hostel. It also includes an activities centre with a gymnasium, pool and hydrotherapy pool, and apartments with one and two bedrooms.
It will also have a tennis court and a bocce area. Mr Briscoe said the development would create 140 jobs and when complete would see an additional $8 million injected into the local economy in wages and services each year.
Premier Paul Lennon said the facility was a welcome expansion of OneCare's commitment to the quality of life of older Tasmanians. "The Barossa Park development will help address a pressing need in our community in a convenient, central location," he said.
The 6ha site, formerly a Hydro depot, was sold by the State Government to OneCare last year for $2 million. Stage one, to be completed in 20 months, is construction of a 96 bed aged-care building, 16 bed step-down facility and 16 bed dementia respite hostel -- 128 beds. The total project includes more than 200 beds. Stage two, to be completed by 2010, includes 111 independent living units, of which 18 would be available to Housing Tasmania clients aged 55 years and over.
© 2007 Davies Brothers Pty Limited.
