Ipswich aged care: Proposed village to have 200 units

It would involve the construction of 200 living units and a 100-bed residential aged care facility

Bethany Christian Care have submitted a development application for a retirement village at Redbank Plains. Picture: Lachlan Mcivor

A PROPOSED nursing home and retirement community in one of Ipswich's growth hotspots would involve the construction of 200 living units and a 100-bed residential aged care facility.

A development application has been lodged with Ipswich City Council by Bethany Christian Care, which runs three similar facilities in Brisbane.

If approved, the South Redbank Plains Village would consist of 200 independent living units as duplexes, apartments and serviced apartments alongside an aged care facility.

In addition, a 'community hub' including services such as a cafe, small grocery store, salon, barber and a well-being consultant room has been proposed.

The vacant site over 245-263 School Rd adjoins Staines Memorial College to the north, White Rock Conservation Reserve to the east, residential development to the south and Six Mile Creek to the west.

Staines is also included as part of the development application to permit the discharge of stormwater and as a sewer connection to sewer service the subject site.

Bethany purchased the 5.856ha site with the view of establishing an aged care facility co-located with Staines to encourage "intergenerational exchange" between the students and the elderly residents.

There is a strong working relationship between the board and management of Bethany and Christian Community Ministries, which owns and operates Staines.

"The presentation of this development application to council is the realisation of a long-held vision, which will further establish this important precinct," the application notes.

Bethany commissioned specialist property development consultants Marketability to prepare a competitive assessment for the proposed village in Redbank Plains.

The research found there will be a projected increase in people aged over 65 in the catchment from 2015 to 2026 of 12,000.

It also found there was a "substantial need" for more retirement village and residential aged care places in the catchment.

"There are no existing and only one other planned aged care facility and retirement village in the Springfield-Redbank Plains-Ripley corridor being the Aveo Springfield development that will provide 2,356 Independent Living Units over 20 years," it said.

The residential aged care facility and community hub would serve as the "centrepiece" of the proposed development and be surrounded by the living facilities.

The living units would be split into 135 independent living units in the form of duplexes, of which there are five standard designs proposed, and three apartment buildings.

The apartment buildings would house 45 two-bedroom apartments in two buildings and 20 single-bedroom serviced apartments in the third.

The residential aged care and apartment buildings are the tallest proposed at up to four-storeys in height, with all other buildings single-storey.

The designs have been undertaken to complement the architectural style of the school and surrounding residential development.