Corangamite Shire Council approves plans for multi million dollar upgrade to aged care facility

A Camperdown aged care facility will get a $39 million upgrade after council gave plans the green light this week. See the designs.

A much-needed plan to upgrade a Camperdown aged care centre was approved by council on Tuesday night.

In May this year, the state government announced it would provide $39.6 million to go towards a 36-bed residential aged care facility to replace the old Merindah Lodge on York St.

The existing aged care facility, operated by South West Healthcare. will be demolished as part of an approved plan to allow for the construction of a new centre.

It includes associated offices, parking lots, communal open spaces for residents, ancillary facilities such as a cafe, gym and salon for residents and their visitors.

The residential care facility will accommodate 36 people, with rooms divided into five ‘households’.

Corangamite Shire Council deputy mayor Geraldine Conheady said the current facility was “well past its used by date” so the new facility would be “fantastic”.

“It will give us a very high standard new facility for the elderly in our community that really need such a facility,” she said.

Other councillors agreed, including Cr Laurie Hickey and Cr Jo Beard.

Aerial perspective of planned site and surrounds. Picture: Corangamite Shire Council.

Concept Art: New Aged Care Facility Camperdown Picture: South West Healthcare.

Cr Beard said she could not speak “highly enough of the care” provided at Merindah Lodge but they “deserved better”.

“This has been a project that has been on the cards for a long time and it’s great that there was an announcement to fund it,” she said.

The majority of the council voted to approve the project of the new aged care facility.

Council is currently conducting a review of its Positive Ageing and Inclusion programs and will make a decision on their future role in aged care in January 2023.