Suite decision to help the elderly

THE AGED care crisis on the Fraser Coast may be eased with more than 100 new suites approved by the council yesterday.

THE AGED care crisis on the Fraser Coast may be eased with more than 100 new suites approved by the council yesterday.

The council unanimously voted in favour of a development permit, allowing an extension to the existing aged care facility at Torbay Retirement Village in Hervey Bay.

Last year, the Chronicle revealed that the Wide Bay region had the worst ratio in the state for aged care beds to people aged 70 and over.

At a planning and development meeting, the council struck a blow to help redress this ratio, approving 106 new beds providing for low, high, special and palliative care levels for residents.

Torbay Retirement Village CEO Philip Parry was delighted with the approval.

"Council had already approved 48 new beds, and with the decision yesterday there will be a total of 154 beds approved."

Mr Parry said building the new beds could be a lengthy process, but plans were already established for the first round of construction work.

The design for a 24 bed development was expected to be complete within two months, before the tendering process to begin construction in July.

This development was expected to be worth more than $5 million, Mr Parry said, bringing good news to builders and subcontractors in the area, as well as carers and, of course, those in need of the aged care beds.

Mr Parry said there were also plans for more suites to be built.

A number of the councillors spoke at length about the positive news the approval represented at the meeting yesterday.

Cr Linda Harris said she was most pleased to see the approval go through at her last council meeting, considering one of the first items she had to consider as a new councillor in Tiaro, 14 years ago, was an aged care facility in Petrie Gardens.

Originally published as Suite decision to help the elderly