Warrina spends $18m on new aged care home

INNISFAIL is to receive a big boost in its aged care infrastructure with a new $18 million aged care home.

Warrina Innisfail president Chris Kahler, who will be turning the sod on the new development tomorrow, said: “This is maybe the biggest private project to get underway in Innisfail and the Cassowary Coast region in well over a decade and has been in planning for many years.

“A new two-storey residential facility providing 64 beds for high care residents will help meet our local demand and, most importantly, keep our elderly close to family.

“A new kitchen and expanded laundry will provide the necessary infrastructure to ensure our residents receive the very best level of care and attention.

“The project will establish an additional need for 45-plus new staff bringing total employment to around 280 and will provide a big boost to the local economy. We already invest over $13 million into the region annually and the new building will mean a bigger operating budget each year.”

Mr Kahler said head contractor Paynter, one of Queensland’s most experienced design/construction firms in the aged care industry, would be managing the job.

“Expectations are approximately 70 per cent of all works will go to contractors in the Far North,” he said.

Treasurer Gordon Goes said funding of the project was a real challenge.

“Despite living in one of the more economically depressed regions in Australia, we were unable to attract any federal assistance,” he said. “Warrina Innisfail will be funding the building with cash reserves and commercial bank loans.”