$25m plan for Highton
Aged care firm wants to build 136-suite facility
A $25 million aged care facility would be built in Highton under plans lodged by one of the biggest players in Australia’s retirement industry.
Japara Healthcare wants to create a three-storey complex on Roslyn Rd, about 700m west of the Highton Village shopping strip.
The facility would host 136 aged care suites, including specialist dementia-support areas, and a range of ancillary services.
In plans lodged with the City of Greater Geelong, Japara proposes demolishing the single-storey building on the site and consolidating two existing land parcels.
The three-storey building would include shared living/ dining areas, cinema/chapel, wellness centre, library and be supported by outdoor terraces.
The proposed facility would be staffed around the clock, with up to 35 workers expected to be on the site during peak periods.
Highton has become a favoured location for retirement villages, with Japara’s proposal coming after a $100 million plan by New Zealand firm Ryman Healthcare for the same suburb.
To be based on a 3.2ha site on nearby South Valley Rd, Ryman’s complex would cater for up to 300 residents.
After announcing its inten- tions in May, the company has moved into the design phase of the project.
With an increasingly ageing population, the aged care sector is industry.
The number of Victorians aged over 65 is projected to more than double within the next 40 years.
Japara Healthcare is one of the country’s largest residential aged care providers, with 43 facilities and five retirement villages spread across five states.
Its presence in Geelong includes Balmoral Mews in Grovedale and Roccoco in St Albans Park.
The application is now out for public comment, with the council to decide on the application after October 28. a fast-growing