Multi-million dollar seniors development pegged for Bega amid housing pinch

By 2036, the average Bega Valley Shire resident is expected to be 70 years or older, prompting one developer to submit an ambitious plan for a multi-million dollar seniors housing complex in the region.

With senior citizens aged 70 years and older expected to form the majority of the Bega Valley community by 2036, one Australian developer has proposed a new multi-million dollar housing development aimed at providing a home and community for the region’s ageing population.

The $10.3 million project will see 38 new senior-orientated housing units built on an undeveloped lot at 21 Gowing Ave in Bega, abutting the Princes Hwy and nearby to the Bega River and Lion Park on the outskirts of the city’s residential sprawl.

Two rows of duplex units will be built between the busy arterial highway and existing properties on Meringo Street, with community facilities to be located inbetween the two rows, including a 25m swimming pool, a communal building, and an outdoor barbecue.

According to documents submitted to the Bega Valley Shire Council on June 17, developer Kwan Family Investments Holdings claim the new gated community for over-55s is in-keeping with the policy and focus of the government body on community housing in the shire.

“This development is designed to offer accessible housing to seniors in a community-focused environment and is in line with the vision and values outlined in the Bega Valley Shire Community Strategic Plan,” the developer states.

“The proposal shall offer additional housing opportunities to accommodate the ageing population.”

Community amenities featured in the site’s two-storey communal structure include a workshop, library with an arts and crafts nook, an outdoor kitchen and seating area, a lounge room, a gym with sauna, a pool area, and ambulant toilets on the first floor.

On the second floor, there will be an arrival area with sitting space and a pergola, and a kitchen and bar adjoining a function room.

The units will be self-contained, comprising of 17 single-storey duplexes, as well as four additional attached dwellings.

Each property will include two bedrooms – including a master bedroom with an ensuite, a bathroom and laundry with powder room, an open-plan kitchen with a dining and living space, a patio, and a single lock-up garage.

The development is currently awaiting approval and comes as the council pushes ahead with its affordable housing strategy which was adopted on May 18, having previously stated that the region needs at least 2500 new affordable housing units by 2040, including for seniors.

According to strategy 22 of the program, the Bega Valley Shire Council will seek to dedicate one of two sites in the shire to senior citizens of the area - to be developed with a private company alongside the council.

“One of these developments will be an affordable seniors’ development, with studio and one-bedroom apartments affordable to older people and those with a disability on pensions and benefits,” the strategy states.

Community facilities will be featured in a new multi-million dollar development in Bega, including a 25m swimming pool, a communal building, and an outdoor barbeque.

The report further noted that there was a need for smaller, housing units for senior First Nations members seeking to live independently from family in the region.

In April, charity Anglicare announced that they were investigating options for acquiring the Roy Wotton Gardens property in Eden to become an affordable accommodation development for seniors, retired veterans, and for people living with a disability.

Anglicare’s general manager for seniors living John Vilskersts said in April that the property had the potential to meet critical housing needs in the community by offering 16 low cost units, each with disability access, and with plans to create private entrances and courtyards.

“Initial discussions with local community members, including the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast, have shown that the housing crisis has particularly affected vulnerable people in this region, with hundreds of locals also heavily impacted by housing loss caused by the Black Summer bushfires,” Mr Vilskersts said.

“Anglicare has a strategic commitment to assist regional communities where services can often be thin, and with our experience we believe we are well placed to facilitate this initiative.”