Council gives lift to aged care plan

VISION: The Salvation Army Aged Care Plus facility for Mossman. MOSSMAN’S long-awaited new aged care facility is shaping up to finally get off the ground in 2019 after Douglas Shire Council extended the development lease by two years.

The Salvation Army Aged Care Plus facility, which began development in August 2016, is slated to start construction at the end of the wet season.

It will take about 18 months to complete.

Councillors unanimously voted to extend the lease until December 31, 2020 at a special council meeting last week to further secure investment by the Salvation Army.

Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu said the lease extension would boost community confidence about the project moving forward.

“The Mossman Aged Care Centre is a high priority project that council and the community have been battling to get for more than 23 years,” she said.

“Council is thrilled with the Salvation Army’s firm commitment and will continue working closely with the organisation to turn dream into a reality.

“We are talking about an essential community centre that will boost wellbeing and provide a significant economic windfall for Mossman.”

The 42-bed residential aged care centre is expected to create more than 40 jobs during construction and 25 fulltime jobs once complete.

Throughout the project development, the council has secured more than $500,000 funding for enabling infrastructure and waived about $250,000 worth of infrastructure fees.

Site upgrades have included construction of a new intersection with turning lane, a road into the facility, footpaths, drainage, water and sewer connections and new substation.

Once construction of the facility is complete, ownership of the land at Johnstone Rd will be transferred from Douglas Shire Council to the Salvation Army.

editorial@cairnspost.com.au facebook.com/TheCairnsPost www.cairnspost.com.au twitter.com/TheCairnsPost

this