Future of Pesdev Group’s 108-bed aged care home unclear

It was announced as a ‘landmark’ project the Gympie region’s ageing population badly needed, but more than two years later, the future of this major development is murky at best.

It was announced by its owners as a “landmark” project badly needed to help cater for the region’s ageing population, but more than two years on the future of a proposed multi-storey 108-bed aged care centre proposed at Gympie is murky at best.

At face value it seemed an ideal proposal: a multistorey 108-bed aged care home in an ageing region, next to the public hospital, and from a developer with an existing portfolio of projects.

Reality has proven a different story.

Uncertainty surrounds the future of the once-vaunted “landmark” project by aged care centre developers Pesdev Group, who secured Gympie Regional Council development approval for the plan in February 2021.

The proposal was to build the centre across three blocks between Duke and King Streets.

Those blocks, encompassing 0.4ha of land, have houses on them.

The new centre would include a library, a function room, a cafe, a gym, baths and yoga/pilates room and a pool.

Plans for a 4-storey, 108 bed aged care facility near the Gympie hospital were given approval by the council in February 2021, more than two years ago.

It would cater to the region’s ageing demographic, with ABS data showing from 2011 to 2021 the average age of the region’s residents increased by more than five years, from 43 to 48.2.

This was compared to an average increase of slightly less than two years across Queensland, from 36.6 to 38.4, leaving Gympie’s residents on average almost a decade older than their state counterparts.

Forecasts predict the average age of Gympie’s residents in 2046 will be 54 years.

Pesdev’s website lists eight other aged care centres in its portfolio, on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane.

The proposed site for the aged care home was on four blocks of land between King and Duke Streets, next to the Gympie Hospital. The land was put up for sale to expressions of interest in August 2021 but drew no interest, and the block (and development approval) are now off the market.

The first twist in the project emerged six months later when the land and development was offered up for sale under expressions of interest.

It was one of two Pesdev projects up for sale.

A 93-bed centre at Beerwah, at the Sunshine Coast, was also listed, and the only one of the two to be sold.

Colliers International manager Baydn Dodds said in September 2021 the Gympie development site was still on the market and the owners were “considering their options in relation to the site”.

On Thursday, July 20, Mr Dodds confirmed the land was no longer being offered for sale by Colliers.

Listings from that marketing campaign still exist online, but the land is understood to not be actively on the market.

At least one of the houses is under a short-term lease until the end of September.

The Pesdev Group was contacted for comment but did not reply by deadline.

Originally published as Future of Pesdev Group’s 108-bed aged care home unclear