Millions on the cards to make growing facility even bigger

GROUND is already being broken for one aged care development, but plans are already in place for another.

NO SLOWING DOWN: Killarney Memorial Aged Care plans to build 14 new retirement units.

FOLLOWING on from a major expansion of its nursing home, Killarney Memorial Aged Care has submitted plans to build an new independent living village.

The proposed community-run facility will consist of 14 units built on vacant land between Eucalyptus and Olive streets.

The plans are for seven duplexes, each containing two bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge room, lock-up garage and a private garden.

At the northern end of the complex there will be a communal space, with a barbecue and seating.

Residents can buy the units and then access services from KMAC's main complex across the road.

KMAC chairwoman Lyndall McCormack said one of the key components of the units was their design, tooled toward making in-home care easier.

"We'll help with showering, medication, home care, garden and all those sorts of things," she said.

"Plus we have GP and there's allied health with the physio at the nursing home across the street. We're trying to create a nice little community settlement there so people can feel comfortable that their parents are living independently.

"We feel like we're filling a big hole in the market."

Killarney Memorial Aged Care will build 14 new units.

Plans have been lodged with Southern Downs Regional Council and released for public consultation.

Work on the units is due to start once council approval for the development application is secured, though Ms McCormack said she hoped to start construction within six months.

Killarney Senior Citizens president Kenny Balk said it was a good idea.

"They're trying to encourage people to stay in their homes as long as possible, which is good," he said. "One of the biggest things as far as the town goes is you have people selling up in Brisbane, coming here and buying in cheaper.

"They buy a caravan and they spend more than half their time away. If there was a farmer who wanted to come to town, they'd be able to find a town easy enough but it all depends on their capabilities."

Southern Downs Regional Council Mayor Tracy Dobie said the planned expansion is another positive move for the aged care industry, both in Killarney and across the shire. "This is key to the future of Killarney," she said.

"KMAC is well loved in Killarney, it's a key company.

While it's still early day Cr Dobie said it's unlikely the expansion will be knocked back.

"I don't anticipate any issues at this point," she said.

"Like many developers in our region, KMAC have made sure they have engaged with the community well ahead of time and have brought the community along with them on this journey."

While an retirees don't directly contribute a huge amounts of money to local economy, Cr Dobie said, indirectly, they are a huge benefit.

"We are very conscious that we do have an ageing population," she said.

"We need to balance that with bringing in more people aged 14-44 because you must maintain a balance to maintain economic growth. "But we are marketing ourselves as a retirement destination."

There'll be more jobs in the short term during construction but the longer terms pay-off comes through the service sector supporting aged residents. "They might not be employed, they do use services which brings more employment," Cr Dobie said.