A LARGE-SCALE aged care home which includes 144 beds, four separate wings and a specialised dementia care unit will be tabled by Ballarat councillors at the council meeting on Wednesday night.
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The proposal for the one-storey development at 305 Smythes Road in Delacombe includes a kitchen, laundry, staff room, dining and lounge area for each wing as well as a library, chapel, men’s shed, craft and activities rooms, hairdresser, meeting rooms, office space, medical stations, reception and outdoor courtyard.
Plans also include installing 51 car parking spaces, including six disabled car parking spots which will be split between the entrance and western boundary of the building.
The proposal comes in the wake of Victoria in Future report, released by the Department of Planning in June which predicted the Ballarat region would swell to 266,400 people by June 30, 2051.
The ageing population is predicted to soar in the city and an extra 47,000 people are predicted to live in the City of Ballarat by 2031.
Ballarat south ward councillor Peter Innes said he looked forward to discussing the application with other councillors on Wednesday night.
“My feeling is that it would be an asset to the community,” Cr Innes said.
“With a growing ageing population we need to ensure that there are good, quality facilities to look after the elderly and this is one way to address those concerns.”
The council report on the proposal which is in the agenda for Wednesday night’s meeting, was undertaken by the city’s general manager for city strategy Natalie Reiter and states that the use of the site, which is located in a residential one zone, does require a planning permit.
The application was also not advertised to the public as the agenda states it is “in accords with the Ballarat West Precinct Structure Plan, 2012.”
The city’s Ballarat West Precinct Structure encourages medium-density residential development.
“An aged care facility is not a retirement village,” the agenda says.
“It is however very closely aligned with such a use and is a more intensive residential outcome than conventional residential development.”
The applicant for the proposal is Croft Developments Pty Ltd, while the owner of the site is ICL Operations One Pty Ltd.
The agenda recommended councillors vote in favour of the proposal. It will be tabled by councillors at the council meeting on Wednesday night.
melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au
