11/11/2009
The Benevolent Society has initiated a hearing in the Land and Environment Court on its innovative aged care and accommodation project – Apartments for Life (AFL) – at Bondi.
The proposed hearing will seek endorsement of revised development plans lodged with Waverley Council in March 2009.
The 140 unit project will allow up to 95 per cent of residents to remain in their home until end of life and not have to move into a nursing home or hostel. An unprecedented 40% of the apartments will be affordable so locals who are aged pensioners or unable to pay market prices will be able to stay in their familiar community.
The not-for-profit scheme is based on a successful overseas model. It is geared to allowing older people to remain in the neighbourhood of their choice, retain a level of independence and draw on care services as required, while maintaining a quality of life as they grow frailer.
The Society has committed to spending more than $60 million on bringing the project to fruition, including some $5 million on fully refurbishing the heritage-listed, Victorian-era Scarba House and preserving the site’s historic fig trees and gardens.
The project is proposed for a site in Bondi that has been owned and used by The Benevolent Society for many decades.
The site area totals 11,650 sq metres (the size of two football fields), half of which will be open space and available to the general community to use and enjoy.
The Benevolent Society has been in discussion with Waverley Council about this project since late 2007. The original Development Application was lodged in May last year.
The development was submitted under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing for Seniors or People with a Disability) and is compliant with SEPP 65 design quality principles and the Council’s social plan.
“The Society has listened to community feedback and made substantial changes to the original Development Application. Those changes have produced a very balanced design for the area,” said Richard Spencer, Chief Executive of The Benevolent Society.
“The site is located in a medium density area - it is an ideal neighbourhood for keeping older people close to transport, shops and connected to local services.
“We have worked hard to minimise the impact on neighbouring buildings. We believe our design strikes the right balance between containing the impact as much as possible while including substantial public benefits.
“The design has been guided by the need to maximise access to social networks; avoid social isolation; boost the efficient use of community care services; promote independence; and include a substantial number of social housing and affordable housing apartments.”
Mr Spencer said independent research by a range of experts in the field of aged care as well as Australian Bureau of Statistics figures clearly show that Australia must begin to prepare for a looming crisis in the availability of suitable living facilities for older people.
“Some 40 per cent of the apartments will be set aside for locals who are aged pensioners or older people not able to meet prevailing market prices,” he said.
“The Society is not undertaking this project to make profits. It will take on a deficit of up to $6 million in the early stages as a result of the residential subsidies allocated.
“We are committed to this project because it is a much needed new model of accommodation and care for older Australians, and because it will provide an option for today’s future generations beyond traditional nursing homes and hostels.
“We have had a large number of interested older people from the eastern suburbs area contact us in support of the project and to enquire about the availability of the proposed units for themselves.
“Importantly, we are convinced that it will provide a viable template for other organisations elsewhere in Australia, and we will be happy to share our experiences on the project with them.
“It is very satisfying that experts in the field of providing and researching aged care and accommodation have unanimously endorsed the Apartments for Life model, and the benefits that will flow from its introduction.
“An independent study undertaken by ACIL Tasman Economics concluded the benefits of the project to the community, government and other stakeholders would far outweigh the costs.”
Mr Spencer said The Benevolent Society believed a proposed hearing in the Land and Environment Court was a responsible and transparent path to pursue in support of the project.
Mr Spencer said the Waverley LGA had one of the highest proportions of older residents in Australia. People aged 75 years and over constituted over 7.3 per cent of the LGA’s total population compared to the Sydney-wide average of 6.1 per cent.
Media enquiries to Tracey Young, The Benevolent Society, 0449 901 753 or Graham Cassidy, Cato Counsel, 0419 202 317