Plans to bring town’s pub to life again Aged care demand leads to expansion

The hotel at Thorpdale – the Travellers’ Rest – may come to life again.

The first step is to get Baw Baw Shire planning approval to restore parts of the building damaged by fire earlier this year. The publican John Bantock died in the blaze. The planning application, lodged by Mr Bantock’s estate and needed because of the building’s heritage listing, is to repair the building “like for like”.

Already gone is the former corrugated asbestos roofing with asbestos clearance granted last August.

It will be replaced by corrugated zincalume iron.

The intention of the plans submitted are to restore the building – the façade, bars, kitchen and accommodation – to its original condition.

Details of each room, what damaged materials have been removed already or need to go and replacement materials to be used, are contained in the submission.

Strong demand for aged care in the area has been cited as the reason for plans to expand accommodation at Amberlea Aged Care in Drouin by two-thirds.

Owner Alliance Aged Care has submitted plans to Baw Baw shire for approval of a 61-bed extension to the existing 90 beds. It estimates the cost will be about $14 million. Alliance Aged Care opened a new $24-million aged care facility at Warragul earlier this year.

It also built and operates Heritage Manor aged care at Morwell.

Buildings at Amberlea already cover about 17,000 square metres and the proposed extension would add another 6140 square metres of floor space.

Amberlea opened as a 60-bed facility in 2005 and was subsequently extended to cater for 90 residents.

The planned new works would also add almost another 1000 square metres of car parking space.